


That’ll Be The Day

by mcshinwon



Series: Everyday [1]
Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Hongseok is a werewolf, I’ll add more tags/warnings as the fic progresses lmao, Minor Character Death, Polyamory, Rating Change, Shinwon is trying his best, Supernatural Elements, Vampire AU, We love a vampire barista ayy, Witches, coffee shop AU, roommate au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:40:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 99,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22530370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcshinwon/pseuds/mcshinwon
Summary: Needing a change of scenery and a fresh start, Shinwon moves to a small town where everybody seems to be worried for his safety. When he discovers that his new housemates are vampires and that he’s being targeted by someone from their past, things are anything but simple. So much for a fresh start.** Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction and I kinda made the characters my own!! I don’t think any of the characters that are antagonists are actually mean or evil, I just needed bad guys 😭😭
Relationships: Kang Hyunggu | Kino/Ko Shinwon, Kang Hyunggu | Kino/Lee Hwitaek | Hui, Kang Hyunggu | Kino/Yan An, Kang Hyunggu | Kino/Yan An/Ko Shinwon, Ko Shinwon/Lee Hwitaek | Hui, Ko Shinwon/Lee Hwitaek | Hui/Kang Hyunggu | Kino, Ko Shinwon/Yan An
Series: Everyday [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875226
Comments: 141
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! Idk what I’m doing but take this,, I tried my best ;-;

As Shinwon set the last box down in the living room he heard a heavy sigh. He turned to face his friend, who was currently leaning against the door frame and staring at the boxes in bewilderment. “What?”

“You have a lot of shit,” Hongseok said deadpan. After a long moment, he cracked a smile and laughed, closing the distance between them and wrapping Shinwon in a very tight and very warm embrace. “It’s good to see ya, man,” he said as he patted Shinwon’s back and pulled away to grin at him. 

“You too. Thanks again for letting me crash here,” Shinwon said, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling back at Hongseok. “I promise I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I get settled in town and have a job,” 

“Don’t even worry about it! I’m always willing to help a friend in need. Now let’s get these out of the way,” he hummed, picking up a couple of boxes that Shinwon had marked to go into the closet. Since he was hopefully only going to be there a short time, he made sure to condense everything that he’d need to use into a couple of boxes so that the rest wouldn’t need to be unpacked. He didn’t want to take too much advantage of the other’s kindness, so his goal was to take up as little space as possible. 

Like he’d said to Hongseok, he planned on being out of there soon enough. He was more than grateful that his friend was letting him crash at his place on such short notice and free of charge, and he didn’t want to be too much of a hinderance. Despite him saying it wasn’t a big deal, Shinwon knew that he’d start to get weird about it after a couple of weeks. He already had interviews at a couple of places in town so he felt hopeful that things would come together easily enough. 

After the pair of them finished unpacking Shinwon’s belongings, Hongseok announced that he was going for a run and that he’d be back in a bit. Shinwon nodded, watching as the other quickly left, and then he stood in the empty living room as he tried to take in his surroundings. It felt weird being in Hongseok’s house without the other there, and although he’d insisted ‘What’s mine is yours,’ Shinwon still felt like an intruder in the small space. Instead of awkwardly standing around and waiting for the other to return, he headed out to get a feel for the town. It was starting to get late so he figured nothing much would be open, but he supposed he could at least figure out the general layout and maybe grab a drink. 

Hongseok lived in what Shinwon endearingly called a shack on the outskirts of town. While it was a house, it was very small, being made up only of one bedroom, one bathroom, and a small living room that combined with the kitchen. Shinwon had lived in apartments that were bigger than Hongseok’s home, and it would have been shocking to Shinwon if he hadn’t known Hongseok since college. While Hongseok was generally a social butterfly and very outgoing, he prioritized having his own space which was part of the reason Shinwon was surprised when the other had jumped to offer for him to crash at his place. 

Shinwon had a car but it was only about a ten minute walk to get downtown and the autumn air was crisp and refreshing on his skin so he opted to walk. He’d be able to discover more places and notice more details that way. It was still light out when he left the house but by the time he reached downtown, the sky was a deep orange. As he walked along the Main Street, he noticed pretty quickly both of the places he had interviews at. The first was a coffee shop which was still open despite the fact that it was around 9 pm. He looked at the window and noticed a sign that stated that the shop was open 24 hours. The second was a record store which was located on the floor above the coffee shop. 

He decided to go into the coffee shop since he was there, and a bell rang as he opened the door. The barista, who had been cleaning something behind the counter jumped and then turned around in surprise when he heard the bell, and then gave Shinwon a huge grin. “Hello! Welcome to Adagio! Let me wash my hands really quick and then I’ll be right with you, sir!” 

Shinwon nodded, looking at the menu. It was themed for the season and had a bunch of Halloween themed drinks which Shinwon couldn’t help but smile at. There were even cute jack-o-lanterns drawn at the bottom of the menu. He couldn’t decide which drink he wanted as he stared at the menu and the barista was at the counter and ready to take his order before he had the time to think about it. “Sorry about that! What can I start for you?”

“Hmmm,” Shinwon hummed, “I’m tempted by the Draculatte because I love raspberry flavored drinks, but the Wolfman sounds interesting too. Every drink sounds good in a different way so why don’t you just surprise me,” he said after a long moment. 

“Will do,” the barista said with a laugh. “Are you new in town? I don’t recognize you,” he asked as he rang up the order and took Shinwon’s card. He was cute. His hair had been dyed bright red and it fell over his forehead in a fluffy yet endearing mess. Shinwon stared at his hand and the various rings he wore as the barista swiped his card.

“I just moved here today, actually! I’m crashing at a buddy’s place for the time being, but he’ll get sick of me soon enough,” Shinwon joked. 

“Is that so? Well, I hope you like it here.” He handed Shinwon his card back and got started on his drink. He sang softly as he mixed things together, and Shinwon couldn’t complain. His voice was soothing. It was almost hypnotic. He stopped singing as he finished the drink, handing it to Shinwon with a big grin. 

“Let me know what you think! This isn’t on the menu but it’s one of my favorites to make,” he said. 

Shinwon took the cup and studied it. It was garnished with pepper and he was also pretty sure he could smell cinnamon. He took a sip of it and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. It was an acquired taste, that was for sure, but it also happened to be within his specific taste. He never knew what to expect when he told people to surprise him but the barista had made one of the best drinks he’d ever consumed. 

“This is absolutely delightful,” Shinwon said after taking another sip. 

The barista clapped his hands together, “I’m glad you think so!” 

“You know what, just for that, I’m tipping you extra,” Shinwon said, pulling a $5 out of his wallet and dropping it into the tip jar. 

“Ah, thank you, I appreciate it,” the barista said with a grin. 

“What’s your name, by the way? That way I can ask for you specifically to make my coffee every time I come here,” Shinwon asked. 

“Hyunggu. You can call me Kino if you want, though.” 

“Kino? Cute nickname. Thank you for the coffee. I’ll get out of your way now,” Shinwon said, putting a lid on his cup and making his way towards the door. 

“I don’t mind! But be careful not to wander around by yourself too late-“

“Shinwon,” 

“Shinwon.” The barista smiled, “Not a lot happens here, but there are some weirdos out there and you can never be too safe,” he warned. 

“Thank you. I don’t think anyone can get weirder than my roommate though,” he said with a laugh. “See ya around, Kino,” Shinwon shouted as he walked outside.

In the short amount of time that he’d been in the shop, the sun had already completely set. It was quiet outside and Shinwon noticed that he didn’t even hear bugs or other usual sounds. He shrugged it off and continued to wander through town. There were a couple more coffee shops but they were generic ones that were closed for the night. He noted a used bookstore that was also open 24 hours, which he found odd. He didn’t go inside but he did peer through the windows for long enough to see a guy around his age organizing some of the books and muttering to himself. 

He also took note of a bar that was across the street. He could hear music faintly playing from inside, but it didn’t look too busy despite it being a Saturday night. It really was a small town. Most of the other buildings were either offices or apartments, with a small grocery store and a couple of hardware stores. There were also a couple of thrift stores and an apothecary. Shinwon would have wandered more, but his phone started ringing. 

“Where are you? I’m gonna come pick you up,” Hongseok’s voice came before Shinwon could even say a ‘hello’.

“I’m by some thrift stores and a funky statue,” Shinwon said, staring at a statue that depicted someone being stabbed in battle. “You really don’t have to get me, it’s not even a twenty minute walk dude,” he said. It was endearing that Hongseok cared that much though.

“Nah, I’m coming to get you. Stay there and I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, man” Hongseok said. It wasn’t any use arguing with him so Shinwon laughed and agreed. He sat on a bench near the statue and waited. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Hongseok sounded worried. The town seemed innocent enough, and Shinwon was tall enough that usually people didn’t try to mess with him. He didn’t know what the other could possibly be worried about. He remembered the barista’s warning from earlier as he sipped his coffee. Did he just give off the vibe that he was easy to mug or something? 

He didn’t have much time to ponder the question before he saw Hongseok’s car pulling down the street. “What was that about?” He asked as he climbed into the car. He didn’t miss the concerned expression on Hongseok’s face. 

“There’s some weird people who wander around at night sometimes. Just wanna make sure you’re safe,” he said. 

“That’s what the barista told me too,” Shinwon muttered. “Do I look tempting to mug or something?” He got defensive and he saw Hongseok raise his eyebrows.

“No no no, not at all! I just wanna look out for you,” he said. Then he scrunched his eyebrows. “Barista? You met Kino, hm?” 

“Yeah. He made me the best damn coffee I’ve ever had in my life,” Shinwon said, taking a sip of the coffee in question. 

“Ah, he’s a good guy. You didn’t run into anyone else did you?”

Shinwon thought about the guy he saw inside the bookstore, but he didn’t think he’d seen anyone else. “No,” he said with a shrug. “You really don’t have to worry about me though, man. I’m a big kid. I can handle myself”.

“I know, I know, I’m just a worrier,” Hongseok sighed as they pulled into his driveway. “But try not to make a habit of walking around by yourself late at night. I know you’re a bit of a night owl but safety is key,” he said. 

“Aye aye,” Shinwon said. 

-

The next day he had his interview at the record store. As he walked into the small store he was pleased to hear Queen playing. “Welcome,” came a deep voice from somewhere in the shop. Shinwon looked around for the owner and held back a laugh as he saw the very top of his head peeking over a shelf of cassettes in the back. 

“Hi,” Shinwon replied,“I’m actually here for an interview?”

“Ah! Shinwon right?” The owner of the voice appeared, walking towards him and shaking his hand. He was taller than Shinwon and although he was fairly lanky, he looked toned as well. His eyes were big and soft and youthful. “I’m Wooseok,” he grinned. “If you follow me, I can take you back to the office for your interview.” 

Shinwon nodded and followed the other past the shelves of records and into a room with a small desk and even more records. A small man was going through the piles of records and organizing them, occasionally stopping to jot something down in a notebook. When he didn’t make any sign of noticing the pair in his doorway, Wooseok cleared his throat. The man jumped and then turned around and Shinwon was almost shocked to see how young he looked. “Ah, you must be here for the interview. Sit down over there! Sorry about the mess,” he said. 

‘Good luck,’ Wooseok mouthed, giving Shinwon a thumbs up before closing the door to the office and getting back to whatever he was doing before. 

Shinwon took a seat and watched as the man finished writing down something in his notebook, setting it on top of the stack of records he’d been going through. “We just got a bunch of used records so I’ve been spending the past few days trying to organize them and price them out so we can put them on the floor. I promise it’s usually not this much of a mess back here,” he said with a laugh, extending his hand to shake. “I’m Jinho, and I’m the owner of this place,” his handshake was firm and his skin was warm. 

“You don’t have to apologize, I don’t mind at all,” Shinwon replied with a laugh. 

“Ah, I’m glad to hear that,” Jinho said as he typed away on his laptop. “I’m just pulling up your application, really quick. Relax though, you don’t have to be so tense. We’re pretty casual here. Ah, here it is,” he skimmed through the application for a moment, humming. “It says you completed some college…”

“Yeah, I had decent grades but it wasn’t where my passion was so I stopped. It seemed pointless to waste my money just to get a piece of paper…”

“No shame in that. College isn’t for everybody. So why’d you move here then? It’s not exactly a big or exciting place…”

“I just needed a fresh start.” Shinwon shrugged, “After I dropped out, I spent a couple of years kinda feeling lost and sorry for myself. I realized that maybe a change in my environment might help, and my friend reached out and offered for me to stay with him until I could get settled.”

“I see... Hongseok right?” Shinwon nodded. “He’s a nice kid. He comes by sometimes because he’s good friends with our Wooseok. So, what interests you about working here… you know, other than money of course?”

“Well I’ve been passionate about music for as long as I can remember,” Shinwon began with a hum. “I also love collecting records. I like the way they sound. Sometimes I wish I’d picked up an instrument when I was younger.”

“It’s never too late to learn. There’s plenty of music lovers in town and I’m sure you could find someone who’d be happy to teach you something,” Jinho smiled. “What do you listen to?”

“Mostly rock music and some alternative too. I really like The 1975 and Queen. I must admit I have a soft spot for Harry Styles though,” Shinwon laughed.

“I don’t blame you, the kid’s got talent. Good taste though. What’s your availability like?” 

“I’m open every day. I just moved here so I’ve got plenty of free time. I’d just prefer to not work in the morning. I’m more of a night owl…”

“That won’t be a problem at all. Wanna start here tomorrow?”

Shinwon hadn’t expected it to be that easy. “Really?” He asked incredulously.

“I like you, Shinwon. You seem like you’ll fit in perfectly here.” Jinho’s smile was genuine. 

“Y-yeah! What time do I come in?” 

“Hmmm… how about five? I’ll have Yuto train you.”

“Okay! I’ll be here at five then!” Shinwon said with a grin. 

“It was nice meeting you,” Jinho offered his hand once more and Shinwon shook it enthusiastically.

“You too! Thank you for the opportunity!” Shinwon beamed before leaving.

He didn’t even have to worry about that second interview. He figured he should at least let Adagio know he’d taken a different offer though. Shinwon went downstairs after leaving the record shop and the bell rang as he entered the shop. He was shocked to see Kino working again despite it being around 9 am. The other looked up and grinned when he saw Shinwon.

“Back again so soon?”

“Yeah, I suppose I am. I was supposed to have an interview here tomorrow but I’m actually taking a different offer,” Shinwon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Awww,” Kino pouted, “That’s a bummer. I really wanted to work with you…”

“You knew I applied?”

“I own this place,” Kino gave Shinwon a smug grin.

“Really!? You’re so-“

“Young? There’s more to me than meets the eye, Ko Shinwon. Can I make you a drink while you’re here? It’s on me.”

“Sure,” Shinwon said, staring at the other with curiosity. He couldn’t explain the vibe Kino gave off, but there was something about him that made him never want to leave. He was cute, yeah, but there was something more to him than that. He just wasn’t sure what it was.

He watched as Kino made his drink. The other seemed lost in his own world, humming to himself as he steamed the milk and then poured it over the espresso. Shinwon noticed he was making a different drink than the night before, but he trusted the other’s judgement after that first one. When Kino seemed satisfied with his creation, he handed Shinwon the cup with a grin on his face. “Let me know what you think of this one!”

Shinwon nodded, taking the cup and looking at it with a raised eyebrow. The whipped cream on top was red and there were sprinkles on top that were shaped like little bats. It smelled fruity. He shrugged and took a sip. He could taste raspberry mixed with dark chocolate, and the flavor of the espresso was still present in the mix as well. It was exactly what he wanted. “It’s perfect! What is it?”

“Well, since you seemed interested in the Draculatte yesterday, it’s a similar mix! I made it stronger than usual though, and I added some cinnamon too. You looked like you could use the extra boost,” Kino said with a laugh.

“You know my tastes better than I do,” Shinwon grinned. 

“What kind of barista would I be if I didn’t?” The bell rang as someone opened the door and Kino waved. “Ah, Yanan! You’re late today…”

“My bad! I hope I didn’t trouble you too much,” came a voice from behind Shinwon. He turned around to see a tall man who was about the same height as himself striding towards the counter. He watched as he put on an apron and began to make himself a drink. He kept looking up at Shinwon, curiosity in his eyes, but then he seemed to turn his attention back to his drink. 

“Not at all! Shinwonnie was keeping me company,” Kino said with a grin. “Long night? You look exhausted.”

Yanan hesitated, casting a glance at Shinwon before smiling and nodding at Kino. “Something like that. I’ll tell you about it later, yeah?” 

“Oh, right!” 

Shinwon cleared his throat, feeling like he was intruding. “I’ll get out of your way now! Thank you for the coffee, Kino,” he smiled. 

“Wait up! I’ll walk with you, if that’s alright?” Kino held up a hand. “You’re living with Hongie right now right? It’s on the way to my place!” 

“Okay, sure!” How did he know he was staying with Hongseok? Then again, Hongseok seemed to have a good opinion of Kino, so Shinwon assumed he’d probably mentioned it. He leaned against the counter and watched as Kino made himself a drink before taking off his apron and grabbing his bag and a deep purple hoodie from the back. He pulled a pair of fingerless gloves out of his bag and pulled them onto thin hands, and then pulling his hood up, he seemed satisfied. 

“Let’s go!”

Shinwon nodded, following after him. “Did you work all night?” He asked incredulously.

“Yeah. It’s not too bad though! I only do overnight shifts like that a couple times a week. I usually just read in my downtime!” 

“Ahh, I see…”

“So what about you? You said you took another offer yeah? Where at?” 

“The record shop upstairs,” Shinwon rubbed the back of his neck with a laugh. 

“Ohhhh! I see! Jinho’s a cool guy! You’ll fit right in there, I already know it!” Kino replied with the confidence of someone who’d known Shinwon for years, not hours. 

“I hope so…” 

As they walked out of the shop, Shinwon watched as Kino shoved his hands into his pockets. It almost seemed like he was freezing from the way he curled into himself, but even though the air had the chill of autumn Shinwon didn’t think it was that bad outside. “Are you that cold?”

“Hm?” 

“You look like you’re freezing your ass off,” Shinwon laughed. 

“Something like that,” Kino replied, seeming to become aware of how ridiculous he looked.

“Here,” Shinwon said, pulling off his jacket and handing it to the other.

“Oh, you really don’t have to-“

“Take the jacket already. I’m usually warm anyways so I don’t need it. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon enough, you can return it then…” 

“Oh… okay,” Kino said, carefully taking the jacket from Shinwon and shrugging it on over his hoodie. “How do I look?” 

“Snug as a bug,” Shinwon grinned.

They walked in silence for a moment, but it was a comfortable silence. Just being around Kino had Shinwon feeling at ease, and he couldn’t explain why. The other began humming to himself, looking around with a soft smile on his face. Was he always so happy? He must’ve felt Shinwon’s eyes on him because he turned, staring right at him. “So. Tell me about you, Ko Shinwon. I know what type of coffee you enjoy and that you live with Hongseokie, but I don’t know much else…”

“Hmmm…” Shinwon stopped walking, thinking of what to say. “Truth is, I’m not super interesting,” he laughed, “I dropped out of college because it wasn’t the right path for me. I’m a huge music buff but I don’t have any skills myself. I kinda wish I’d picked up an instrument sooner. I’m decent at fixing things and could be a mechanic if I wanted. I learned enough from my father growing up, but I dunno. Just because I’m good at it doesn’t mean I wanna make that my life…” he trailed off, realizing he’d been rambling. The whole time, Kino just stared at him with big thoughtful eyes.

“I don’t think you’re boring at all. I never went to college in the first place and I know plenty,” he smiled brightly. “Also, if you ever wanna pick up an instrument, I can hook you up. Both me and my roommate are huge music junkies and I’m sure he’d be more than thrilled to teach you something!” 

Shinwon’s eyebrows shot up, “Really? Are you sure? You don’t have to go through the tr-“

“Believe me, it’s not a problem!”

“Oh my God, thank you so much. That means a lot to me, it really does,” Shinwon grinned. 

-

For a couple of weeks, Shinwon felt himself getting settled. He was able to pick up on his job easily with the help of Yuto and Wooseok. He fell into the habit of going to Adagio before his shifts and chatting away with whoever was working. Usually he was greeted by Yanan, who seemed to regard him with an amount of distrust for the first week. As the other got used to Shinwon’s antics, though, the wall he’d built started to crumble piece by piece and Shinwon was able to see the type of person he actually was.

He came to discover that Yanan was actually very friendly once he was comfortable around people, but that he was shy around those he didn’t know which often lead to him coming across as cold. He learned that the other usually took his coffee black, and that he was good friends with the guy who owned the bookstore Shinwon had come across his first night in town. He also discovered that Yanan had a love for literature and him and Kino frequently traded or lent each other books between shifts. 

He’d come to notice that Kino only ever really worked night shifts. Sometimes he’d come in during the day, and almost always in an excessive amount of layers, but it was a rare occurrence. The only times Shinwon had noticed the other not in layers was during the evening and while he was at work. It confused him but he wasn’t going to question a habit that was overall harmless. It wasn’t his business. 

He learned that Kino’s roommate’s name was Hui and that he was more or less a musical prodigy. According to him, Hui was the clingiest person in the world and would latch onto anyone he was comfortable with. He was also apparently loaded. 

In the occasional times their shifts overlapped, Shinwon discovered that Wooseok and Yuto had a strange relationship he could only call love-hate. They were the best of friends while being the biggest of rivals at the same time. Yuto was always cool about everything he did, and his general quietness added to the intimidating vibe he gave off, while Wooseok tended to be enthusiastic while also simultaneously being the most ‘chill’ person that Shinwon knew. From the short amount of time that he’d known them, Shinwon came to suspect that when Wooseok acted ‘chill’, it was a front and to impress Yuto. 

As more time passed, Shinwon also could feel Hongseok growing antsy. While the other was too nice to say anything, he knew he wanted his own space again. And Shinwon wouldn’t have minded having space of his own instead of sleeping on his friend’s couch. So the search would begin. 

The town wasn’t big enough to have any online groups or anything he could look in, and it seemed like everybody knew everybody, so he wasn’t sure what the right route to go was. Hongseok reassured him that he’d figure something out soon enough, but Shinwon felt like he was reassuring himself more than him. He was beginning to feel like he’d never find a place to live. In hindsight, maybe he should have taken that into consideration, but he was never one for planning things out. Usually, he just dove in and hoped for the best.

He was complaining about such to Yanan one evening as Kino walked into the shop for his shift. “Is everything alright?” He asked, voice dripping with concern when he saw his friend’s head buried in his hands, coffee sitting on the table in front of him untouched. 

“I feel like I’m overstaying my welcome at Hongie’s,” Shinwon whined, “But the problem is, I don’t know where to go from here. It seems like no place is leasing and everybody else already knows each other. I know I probably should have planned more in advance but…” he pouted, staring at his cup before taking a sip. It was already cold and he scrunched his nose in distaste. 

Kino took a seat across from Shinwon, resting his chin in his hand and humming as he thought. “Everybody does know each other, yeah, but it’s a small town so in the couple of weeks you’ve been here, you’ve met plenty of people! I feel like I know you pretty well already, at least!” 

“How does that help me find a place to live though?” Despite Kino’s attempt at comforting him, Shinwon felt completely hopeless. He watched as the other pulled out and typed out a message on his phone. 

“Just hang tight here for a few minutes. I have an idea…” 

“Oh?” Shinwon raised an eyebrow watching the way Kino smiled mischievously at his phone.

“Hyunggu. A word in the back.” Yanan said after a moment, visibly concerned about something. Shinwon watched as the boy in front of him tilted his head in confusion and then got up to talk to the other. Part of him was curious what it was about, but he knew better than to eavesdrop. He caught Yanan’s eye as the other glanced in his direction nervously. Kino crossed his arms, leaning against the counter, shrugging. From Yanan’s animated gestures and the way Kino rolled his eyes, he could tell that they were arguing about something. They both abruptly stopped whispering to each other, whirling to face the door as the bell rang. 

Shinwon followed their eyes, turning to face a man about his age. He was - and Shinwon had seen many attractive people in his time - arguably the most beautiful man that he’d ever seen. He was considerably smaller than him in height and had eyes that turned into crescents as he grinned at everybody. His lips didn’t show any signs of being even remotely chapped despite the season, making Shinwon hyper aware of his own lips which he’d been biting all morning. His hair was dyed a bright orange, and to further compliment it, he wore a deep red sweatshirt under a black jacket. 

“You’re prompt as always!” Kino grinned at the man in question. Yanan facepalmed, seeming defeated. 

“I wasn’t doing anything anyways, so why keep you waiting? You Shinwon?” He turned to face Shinwon, making him start. 

“Yeah, but-“

“I’m Hui. Kino’s roommate,” he pulled out a chair and took a seat across from Shinwon while Kino came and sat next to him. “He told me you’re having a roommate crisis?”

He nodded. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

“We have a spare room at our place. It’s not huge or anything, but you’re more than welcome-“

“You really don’t have-“

“A friend of Kino’s is a friend of mine,” Hui cut Shinwon off, “And you don’t even have to worry about rent because our place is payed off. The only bill we have is electric so as long as you chip in a little bit for that, you’re golden.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude or anything and even Kino hasn’t known me that long- what if I was secretly an axe murderer-“ Hui and Kino exchanged an amused glance before the taller burst out laughing. 

“Believe me, I trust Kino’s instincts of people more than my own. He’s always been good at that sort of thing. Plus I heard you have good taste in music,” Hui shrugged.

“I…” 

“Look Shinwon,” Kino stared at him with determination, “We’re not gonna force you to live with us if you don’t want to. I just noticed a friend in need and wanted to extend the offer. I like you and trust you, so believe me when I say you’re not intruding at all and you’re more than welcome, alright?”

“I… okay yeah,” Shinwon finally nodded, “That sounds like a good idea and if you guys say I won’t be a burden then I shouldn’t argue it. I guess it just seems too easy, is all. I didn’t expect everything to just… fall in place?” He shrugged.

“Alright then it’s a deal, yeah?” Hui held out his hand with a huge grin and Shinwon took it, smiling back at him. 

From the back of the coffee shop, Yanan sighed. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just need you all to know this isn’t being beta’d by anyone so please let me know if there’s any spelling errors I didn’t catch!! This chapter’s a bit shorter than the first one!!

When the day came for Shinwon to move in, the air was crisp and bit at his skin. Part of it still seemed too easy. A week ago, he’d been stressed about getting out of Hongseok’s hair and finding a place of his own, and just like that, it was as if everything was handed to him. It only took a few loads to get everything into Hongseok’s truck. Shinwon didn’t own much to begin with because he’d never really had the space to do so. As Hongseok finished strapping everything down with cords to secure it into the bed of the truck, Shinwon climbed into the passenger seat, coffee in hand. He was excited to move, but it was too early still. Although Kino had said the plan sounded good when Shinwon had texted him letting him know they’d be early, he knew the other was even more nocturnal than himself.

Hongseok was his best friend, but he was stubborn and even went as far as to tell Shinwon that Kino and Hui would have to just suck it up when he’d mentioned that they weren’t really morning - or day - people to begin with. Shinwon knew there was no use trying to argue with the other, so he just rolled with it. Although he had made it sound like he was free that day to help him move, Hongseok had made a point of telling him every chance he got that he couldn’t be out late. Apparently his definition of late was around 4 pm. It didn’t matter how many times he reassured him, Shinwon still felt like the other was desperate to have him out of his space.

Shinwon had never been to Kino and Hui’s house so he didn’t really know what to expect. Hongseok knew where he was going and had told him it wasn’t far, but even though it was less than a ten minute drive, Shinwon couldn’t shake the feeling of isolation. He stared out the window, watching the blurs of dead trees as Hongseok turned down a road that was about half cobblestone half dirt. Kino had mentioned the place being in the middle of nowhere but Shinwon didn’t realize just how secluded it would be.

“Here we are,” Hongseok said in a voice just loud enough to break Shinwon out of his daze. He looked up as the other turned down a long driveway. The only indication that it was in fact a driveway and not another road was the mailbox at the end of it. It was the first thing Shinwon had seen since they’d driven down that road that actually looked new. It was painted a soft purple - no doubt Kino’s doing - and had both his and Hui’s names. Shinwon did a double take when he noticed his own name squeezed onto the mailbox in freshly painted letters. Cute.

As Hongseok continued to snake down the driveway, the house came into view. Shinwon still didn’t know Hui that well, but he was going to kill him. He’d downplayed it by a lot. Shinwon didn’t even know if it was accurate to call it a house. No, it was a goddamn mansion. 

“I knew Hui was loaded, but I didn’t realize the asshole owned a mansion…”

Hongseok turned to see the look of surprise on Shinwon’s face and laughed. “Let me guess, he told you it wasn’t anything super fancy, didn’t he?”

“To quote him, he said ‘It’s not much,’”

As if on cue, Kino stepped outside onto the porch. He grinned and waved enthusiastically at them as Hongseok put the truck in park. “Welcome home~” he said in a singsong voice, watching Shinwon climb out. It was still hard to wrap his head around the fact that house that loomed in front of him was now his home too. He’d never even lived in a normal sized house before, let alone a mansion. Although the building itself appeared to have been renovated, he could tell that it was pretty old. Most of the renovations kept what he assumed was likely the original style. He was no architect so he couldn’t place label on the building other than: old. 

“This place is…” Shinwon trailed off dumbly. 

“It’s huge. I know. Hui has a bad habit of downplaying everything. Sometimes with the way he acts, you’d think he grew up in a castle or something,” Kino laughed as he bounded over to the truck. “Let me take a couple of boxes and I can show you your room while Hongie gets the heavy stuff~” 

Shinwon laughed at that. “Payback for making us be awake at this time?”

“Totally,” Kino took a couple of boxes in his arms, cradling them like they were the most precious things he’d ever held. Which in all fairness was true. One of the boxes was filled with Shinwon’s record collection, while the other had assorted cds and memorabilia. He didn’t own much, but he did always treat himself when it came to music he enjoyed. Shinwon reached into the truck and grabbed his record player and the bag that had his bedding haphazardly stuffed in it, following Kino into the house. 

Inside the entrance there was a coat rack and a shoe mat. A couple umbrellas were propped against the coat rack. If he didn’t know better he’d think he was going to his grandparents house. Except instead of the shoe mat being filled with old people shoes, it was filled with beat up converse. It was so suburban it was almost funny. The front hall they entered into opened up into a spacious room, stairs snaking up one corner of the room while it was divided into partially a living room and partially a study. Shinwon stared at the piano in the corner of the room with longing. Maybe he’d get Hui to teach him. 

“I’ll give you a grand tour later, but right now let’s focus on getting everything inside!” Kino chirped, beckoning Shinwon towards the staircase. The stairs led into a hallway that had a room branching off of it and opened into another study that held another staircase. He hoped Hongseok enjoyed carrying a mattress up however many flights of stairs. 

As if reading his mind, Kino spoke up. “These are the last stairs you’ll have to take to get to your room, I promise.”

“I’m trusting you on this one…” Shinwon teased, following him up. This staircase opened into another hallway. On one side were several windows in which he could see the forest ahead through. The windowsills had various plants and flowers sitting on them and they all seemed to be thriving despite the season. The other side of the hall had a couple of doorways. Kino lead Shinwon past the first one before stepping into the next. 

“Home sweet home!” he said with a grin. The room before Shinwon was almost completely bare currently, save for an empty shelf in the corner. Two large windows stood on the walls. The one facing towards the street had its curtains drawn but the other window gave him a great view of the forest that lay beyond (and Shinwon could have sworn he caught the telltale glimmer of a lake in the distance). It also had a thick ledge against it, making it the perfect daydream-and-listen-to-music spot if you asked Shinwon. 

Shinwon had lived in apartments smaller than the room he was standing in, but he couldn’t tell if the room was really large or if he was just used to being broke. He shrugged finally, gently setting his record player on the ledge and his bag next to it. Kino placed the boxes next to them and turned to Shinwon with a questioning expression on his face.

“So? What do you think?” 

“I don’t even know where to begin. Thank you guys so much. This is… wow. Just wow,” Shinwon didn’t consider himself a sensitive person, but he could have started crying. He didn’t, but he could have. 

“This room has been basically sitting empty for ages, it’s the least we could do,” Kino laughed.

“Right…” Shinwon continued to stare at the room for a moment in awe before looking in the closet (he did a sigh of relief when it was normal sized and not a walk in because he didn’t know what he’d do with all of that space) and then looking in the bathroom that was connected. He didn’t see another door leading into it and he looked between the room and then Kino and then back at the room again. It had a toilet, a sink, and a nice shower. “Is this… mine?” He was sure he sounded like an idiot. 

“Have you never had your own bathroom before? Yeah it’s yours! We even had someone come in and repair and renovate anything that needed fixing since it wasn’t really being used,” Kino said sweetly as he patted Shinwon on the back. “Now come on, quit looking so surprised! We gotta finish getting all your stuff inside. We can make Hongie carry the heavy stuff but we can’t make him carry _everything.”_

“Shouldn’t we help him? I mean there are a lot of stairs… I kinda feel bad making him drag my mattress all the way up here…”

“We know the same Hongseok right? Dude’s built like an ox. He can handle it no problem,” Kino reassured Shinwon, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him back out of the room. 

As if on cue, Hongseok emerged from around the corner as he climbed up the stairs with Shinwon’s mattress, seeming unamused at worst. 

“See!” Kino said with a smirk. 

Hongseok raised an eyebrow in confusion but then shrugged, continuing up the stairs only to unceremoniously drop the mattress in Shinwon’s room. He made a show of brushing his hands off before immediately heading back towards the stairs. He paused and turned around, “My truck’s not gonna unload itself, you know?” And even though he looked unamused at the surface, Shinwon could almost hear the smirk in his voice. 

-

They were about halfway through with getting Shinwon’s room set up when Hongseok abruptly stood up, glancing out the window. It was only 3 pm but because of the fact that it was nearing the middle of November, the sun was already slowly making its way down. “I should probably get going. Sorry, I’d stay longer but I really can’t,” he said, without offering much of an explanation. He picked up his coat and stopped in the doorway, giving Kino and Shinwon one last glance, “Text me once you’ve settled in, alright? And you,” he pointed an accusatory finger at Kino, who raised an eyebrow, “try not to eat my best friend.”

Without giving either of them a chance to respond, Hongseok left. Shinwon and Kino stared at the doorway until the other’s footsteps faded and they heard the sound of his truck turning on. “What was that about?” 

“Inside joke,” Kino said with a long sigh, burying his head in his hands. 

Shinwon shrugged, dragging a box across the room to the book shelf and opening it. It mostly contained comic books and fantasy and sci fi novels. He’d always been a fan of that type of thing. On the top shelf he placed his comic collection. It was a mixture of Marvel and DC comics, although he mostly had Deadpool and Spider-Man comics. He also had all of The Umbrella Academy comics as well as a few indie comics. The shelf below that he dedicated to his small manga collection. He’d been big on it when he was in high school, and although he didn’t read it much anymore, he was too sentimental to get rid of any of the books. 

Kino stopped sliding clothes on hangers to look at the books as Shinwon placed them on his shelf. He had The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Hobbit on a separate shelf, and then he noted the few fantasy and sci fi books he placed on the shelf below them. And then he noticed the last books he placed on his shelf and couldn’t hold back the snort.

“Dragonology? Vampireology? Really, what are you an elementary schooler?” 

“Leave me and my books alone!” Shinwon said in a defensive tone, hugging one of the books in question to his chest. “I’ve had these since elementary though. I had to beg my parents to buy them for me at the book fair,” he cracked a small smile. 

Kino laughed. “Alright. Lemme see,” he said, making grabby hands at Shinwon until the other handed him a thick book. He could tell it’d been loved plenty by a young Shinwon from the way that the spine was crinkled and the corners of the pages were worn. The inside of the cover had Shinwon’s name written in crayon. 

Shinwon watched as Kino carefully flipped through the book with an amused expression on his face. Every once in a while he paused to read a page more carefully, only to laugh softly. “Did you by any chance have a Twilight phase?” 

“God, no. Vampires and dragons are cool as hell, but I at least had taste. Who the hell wants to read a book about sexy sparkly vampires that watch you sleep? I could write a better YA novel than that dumpster fire,” Shinwon said, feigning disgust. 

“Good. I might have had to evict you if you were a fan. At least you have taste,” Kino agreed, gently handing him the book back. 

Shinwon placed a few other knick knacks on the shelf including figurines, a plasma ball, a candle, and an old plushie that he’d had since he was a baby. He stepped back to get a better look before deciding it looked good enough. He broke down the box the books had been in and took it out to the hall to put with the other boxes they’d emptied so far. 

And ran directly into Hui.

“Hey,” the other simply said, reaching out a hand to help Shinwon up. 

“I didn’t even hear you come in! Where were you again?” 

“I had business in town with someone. You know that book shop right? Me and the guy who works there have been working on a project lately. Sorry again about not being able to help you move,” Hui said sweetly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Don’t even worry about it! Hongseok did most of the work anyways. Speaking of, you just missed him,” Shinwon said. 

“Oh? That’s too bad. I’m sure I’ll see him sooner or later though,” the shorter sighed. “So how are you getting settled? Is your room alright?”

“You made it sound like you lived in a very humble home. I wasn’t expecting a mansion,” Shinwon jabbed Hui in the chest with a finger.

“Ah, my bad! I’ve got a habit of downplaying everything,” he smiled, peeking his head through Shinwon’s doorway. 

“Welcome back, Hui,” Kino said, still facing the closet as he hung up a black and grey flannel. 

“Hey. Helping Shinwon feel at home?”

“Of course! I even made him lunch earlier.”

“Wow, roommate of the year award goes to Hyunggu,” Hui said with a smirk as he wandered into the room and looked around. He noticed the box of records and record player sitting by the window and crouched down to flip through them. “Mind if I put on music?” 

“Go for it,” Shinwon said, curious what the other would pick. 

After a few moments of contemplating, he finally landed on a Buddy Holly record. “Good taste,” Hui murmured as he smiled at the record in his hands before plugging the player in and carefully setting the record on it. “Now, what do you want me to help with?”

“That box over there has my bed frame. It shouldn’t be too hard to put together if you wanna have at it,” Shinwon said, gesturing towards the corner of the room. Hongseok had more or less thrown the box in question across Shinwon’s mattress.

“Okie dokie,” Hui shuffled over to the box, opening it and pulling the pieces out before reading the instructions. 

Shinwon moved to set up his desk. It was pretty minimalist so assembling it more or less just meant attaching the legs to it. Once it was ready, he moved it so that it was next to but not in front of the window seat. That way he still had a decent view out the window and could use natural lighting during the day. He grabbed another box of things to set on the desk. He didn’t have much since he wasn’t in school. The key items were a mug which he filled with pens, a notebook he kept for any random thoughts he had, and a rock salt lamp. He carefully pushed his chair in and then draped a blanket over the back for the final touch. Cozy but minimal. 

Hui had managed to finish assembling the bed frame pretty quickly, and had hoisted the mattress on top of it effortlessly. “I’m assuming you don’t want this in the center of your room, so where should we move it?”

“I’ve got it,” Shinwon said, walking over and pushing the bed into the corner of the room so that it was positioned between both windows. He then opened the bag with his bedding in it and began to set the bed. The sun was dipping into the horizon and the sky was a deep shade of orange - and getting darker quickly. He could already see the moon when he looked out the window. Despite typically being a night owl, waking up early had his body feeling tired. It wasn’t even five and he felt ready to drop. And the idea of finally being able to sleep in his own bed rather than on Hongseok’s couch only made him more drowsy. 

-

Once everything was set up, Hui and Kino dragged Shinwon on a grand tour of the house. He’d seen some of it and gotten a pretty good idea of the size of everything when he moved in, but he followed along anyways. The room next to his turned out to be Kino’s. The second floor was more or less Hui’s own personal apartment. The room that was his bedroom doubled as a studio and Shinwon couldn’t help but gawk at the rack full of guitars and other instruments. The study that they’d walked through to get to the third floor was filled with books that Hui had collected through the years. 

“He’s a bit of an eccentric,” Kino leaned over to whisper in Shinwon’s ear as the other man boasted his library. Shinwon wasn’t much of a reader but he was still impressed. The room reminded him of a smaller scale version of the Beast’s library in Beauty and the Beast, which he didn’t hesitate to tell Kino. The other just laughed.

The ground floor consisted of the kitchen and dining room, as well as a pantry that was pretty big on one side, and on the other side there was the living room, which connected to another half study. Nestled in the corner where the stairs snaked up was the piano. Shinwon resisted the urge to brush his fingers along it as he walked past. 

Kino also explained that there was an outdoor dining area that they used when it was warm outside. They also had a garden (although it was currently dead due to the season), and a greenhouse. “If I’m ever home and you can’t find me, there’s a decent chance I’m there,” he said as he gestured at the greenhouse through the window. Lights were on, illuminating it in the darkness, and it looked cozy. 

-

Shinwon was groggy when he woke up. He’d fallen asleep around 9 pm (which was extremely early for him), but then drifted in and out of sleep all night. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was intruding despite both Hui and Kino’s reassurances. On top of that, being isolated in the woods meant he got to listen to howling all night. He glanced at his clock, noting that it was now about 4 am. Even though his body felt heavy with exhaustion, he couldn’t bring himself to fall back asleep. Instead he decided to wander downstairs to the kitchen. If he couldn’t sleep, he may as well do something to preoccupy himself. 

The house was quiet and he assumed that Hui and Kino had gone out or were working, considering the fact that they were nocturnal. He stood in the kitchen, brewing coffee for himself and humming softly to fill the quiet. Once the coffee was done, he poured himself a cup and then went back to his room, opening his window and sitting on the ledge, letting his legs hang out. The cool air felt refreshing and woke him up more and, other than the howling of animals, the night sounds were relaxing. 

He turned on his record player and hummed softly to the music that played. Although he knew he could trust Kino and Hui, it occurred to him that he’d really just moved in with two guys that he barely knew. Hongseok seemed to have known them for a while and trusted them, not hesitating to tell Shinwon how great of guys they were, and Shinwon prided himself on usually being a good judge of character. But despite him already considering Kino one of his best friends, he felt like a stranger living in a stranger’s house.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”.

Shinwon almost spilled his coffee on himself at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He looked down and saw a man standing in the darkness outside, nonchalantly leaning against a tree. He didn’t recognize him, but he was beautiful. His eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight, and his hair fell in soft blonde waves. Alarm bells rang in Shinwon’s head.

“Who the hell are you?” He immediately drew his legs back into the window, despite the fact that he was on the third floor. He held the window with one hand, ready to close it and lock it.

“A friend,” the stranger simply smiled.

“Bullshit. I’ve never seen you in my life and a friend wouldn’t be lurking in the woods at four am. What are you, a serial killer?”

The stranger laughed, but offered no response. 

As if on cue, Shinwon whirled around to see Hui standing behind him, pushing him away from the window with a protective arm. “Why are you here, Changgu?” 

“Hui! Always a pleasure. I heard a rumor you guys got yourselves a little pet, so I thought I’d pop by and see for myself,” condescension dripped from the other’s voice, and Shinwon didn’t have to look outside to know that he was smirking. 

Hui made a show of looking around. “No pets here. Not that I’m aware of, at least. So why don’t you do us all a favor and leave.” Although the other was acting cool and harsh, Shinwon could feel the tension radiating off of him. 

Changgu put up his hands, shaking his head and laughing. “Alright, alright. I’ll get out of your hair for now,” he cracked a smile. “Maybe I’ll break Rapunzel out of the tower later,” he called as he backed into the woods. 

Hui was quick to close and lock the window. “Are you alright?” He asked, his eyes wide.

“Uh… yeah,” Shinwon said, staring at the spot that the stranger had been standing in. “What the hell just happened? Who was that guy?” 

“Bad news is what he is,” Hui grumbled, burying his head in his hands. “Sorry,” he began, turning to face Shinwon.

“For what? You didn’t do anything,” Shinwon began to object. 

Hui shook his head, raising his hand and tapping Shinwon on the forehead. Everything went dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pls lmk all ur thoughts, also thank u ptg black hall teasers for giving me edgy vampire inspo ;0


	3. Chapter 3

Since it was a weekend, Shinwon had the day off. He decided to spend the day in town. Maybe he’d explore the book shop and get a couple of new records. He’d woken up feeling heavy and exhausted. He couldn’t remember anything he’d dreamed about the previous night, but he was almost positive he’d had a nightmare or two. Whatever he’d dreamed of was quickly forgotten as he got dressed and headed downstairs to make himself breakfast at a crisp 11:46 am. As he walked down the stairs, he was careful to be quiet. Hui was passed out, snoring softly at the piano. He must’ve been up and going for too long. Shinwon carefully draped a blanket over the other before wandering into the kitchen. 

“Heya!” Kino’s voice came from the dining room. He was currently curled up on a chair, wrapped in a blanket with a book in one hand and a cup of what looked like hot chocolate in the other hand. “Did you sleep alright?” 

“Ehh, for the most part. I had a weird dream, I think. I can’t really remember it though,” Shinwon said, scratching the back of his neck. “I kinda feel like someone stuffed my head with cotton balls.”

“Ouch. I have painkillers if you have a headache”.

“Nah, I think I’ll survive with the help of some coffee,” he said as he dug through the cupboard and blindly grabbed a bag of coffee. He squinted at the handwritten label. 

“Ah, Yanan made that. He makes really good blends. They wake you up like magic,” Kino said with a wink. It was more of a blink than a wink though, but Shinwon had to appreciate the effort.

“Guess I have no choice but to go with this then,” he hummed, pouring some into a filter and turning on the coffee pot. He turned to look for some sugar while he waited for the coffee to brew. He felt weird going through the cupboards, but he’d have to get used to it because it was his home too. 

“You’ll settle in soon enough,” Kino reassured, seeming to have read his mind. 

“How do you always do that?”

“It’s a secret power of mine,” the other looked up from his book to ‘wink’ at Shinwon again. 

“Right,” Shinwon said, crossing his arms. Once his coffee was done he sat down across from Kino, enjoying the comfortable quiet as he scrolled through his notifications. 

He looked up at the quiet sound of Hui shuffling into the kitchen. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Kino said without looking up from his book.

“Hey,” the other said through a yawn. He held the blanket that Shinwon had draped over him around his head like a cape. It was kind of endearing. He reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle, opening it and taking a long sip. 

“Is that a hydro flask?” Shinwon raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t wanna hear any nonsense from you,” Hui pointed an accusatory finger at him. “I saw your dragon and vampire books.”

“Okay, VSCO,” Shinwon laughed. 

They continued to banter back and forth for a few minutes while Kino continued to read his book, seeming like he was in his own little bubble. “I’m gonna go take a nap in my actual bed now. I didn’t mean to fall asleep at the piano and now my back hurts like hell,” the other whined. Shinwon heard something crack as Hui reached into the air, stretching as if to provide emphasis. 

“Later,” Shinwon said with a nod, watching as the other shuffled away. Once he was gone, he let out a sigh he didn’t realize he’d been holding in. From across the table, Kino smiled at him. “What?”

“Mmmm, nothing,” he said, but his smile said otherwise.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking about it”.

“No thoughts. Head empty.”

-

It was warmer out that day and the ground had gone from hard with frost to mushy and damp as the sun rose. It was still cold enough that Shinwon needed a jacket, but the sun felt nice on his skin. He knew it wouldn’t last long though, the weather forecast had predicted a blizzard in the next few days. Despite it being day, the main strip of town was relatively quiet. Shops were open and a few people were wandering down the street; a group of boys were fighting in the mud, having what appeared to be a slush war with each other. 

Shinwon wandered into the book shop, the bell ringing as he opened the door. He didn’t see anyone inside so he continued further in. Books were stacked in tall piles and the shelves made the shop feel like a labyrinth. Despite the appearance seeming disorderly, Shinwon quickly noticed that the shop was very meticulously organized. Books were organized by topic and then again by the author in alphabetical order. They ranged from botany to shitty YA novels to studies on medieval torture methods. 

As he wandered deeper than the shop (which seemed to be never ending), Shinwon noticed a bookshelf that moved to reveal another room. It was ajar and the room beyond contained even more books as well as some shelves that were filled with various trinkets, herbs, and vials. He couldn’t see anyone inside but he could hear hushed voices coming from inside the room.

“I’m telling you, I have a bad feeling about all of this,” he recognized Yanan’s voice right away.

“And I believe you. You’ve always had good instincts when it came to situations like this. But I’m telling you that it’s outside of my area of expertise. I’d gladly help you if I knew what I was doing, but I don’t want to risk causing unnecessary harm,” an unfamiliar voice responded.

“It’s outside of mine too, or I wouldn’t have come here. I know you don’t like to get involved with things like this, but I don’t wanna take any chances. I’m not asking you to come up with it by yourself, I’m just asking you to work with me here.”

“And what if I accidentally poison him because I don’t know the right ingredients? God, Yanan, I can’t have an innocent person’s blood on my hands. Why do you care about this guy so much, anyways?”

Yanan didn’t respond. 

Shinwon continued shuffling further into the store. He wasn’t sure what the hell they were talking about but he did know that it wasn’t a conversation meant for his ears. He directed his attention towards a sharp staircase that lead up to a sort of balcony. A sign read that the section contained books on music and art as well as sheet music. He climbed them quietly, thankful that they didn’t squeak and betray his presence. 

The balcony he stepped onto was spacious. A table in the center had crates full of sheet music, organized by instrument. Shelves lined the walls and framed a circular window in the center of the wall. A small shelf in front of the window was lined with flowers - Shinwon recognized daisies and sunflowers. They grew elegantly despite the season and brought a calming feeling to the room. The shelf to the left of the window was filled with art books. Some of them were studies on movements and history of art while others were compilations of various artists’ works. A painting depicting a familiar figure sat on one of the shelves. 

Shinwon looked closer. There was no way, right?

The hair color was different, but there was no doubt about it. He was staring at a painting of Hui. He couldn’t help the small laugh that came out. He was depicted lounging on a rug, moonlight streaming through the window behind him making his features seem to glimmer. He was dressed in… Shinwon couldn’t think of the actual time period of the fashion that he was looking at but he looked like he was a rich noble at a Renaissance Festival. He held a black goblet with slender fingers in one hand while the other rested on the ground at his side. He looked at the lower corner of the piece, noticing a signature. 

Hyunggu. 

He hadn’t mentioned he was an artist, let alone a damn good one at that. Shinwon pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the painting before finally wandering away from the shelf. He heard the sound of a door closing and tried to act nonchalant as he heard soft footsteps heading up the stairs to the balcony.

“Ah, I didn’t expect to see you out today!” Yanan said, smiling at Shinwon pleasantly as he turned to face him.

“Oh, yeah! I didn’t have to work so I thought I’d explore and wander around a bit today.”

“I see,” the other hummed. 

He heard more footsteps and saw a head of longer blonde hair peek over the edge of the balcony. He recognized the person as the same guy he’d seen in the shop the first night he’d been in town. “I thought I heard someone moving around in here,” he gave a cheerful smile. “I haven’t seen you in here before, I’m Hyojong! Let me know if I can help you find anything. I know it’s kind of a maze here…”

“Shinwon,” he extended a hand, which Hyojong took eagerly. He shocked him, causing Shinwon to draw his hand back quickly with a laugh.

“Ah, my bad,” the other was quick to apologize. “But Shinwon, you say? Come to mention it, Hui mentioned you to me! You’re his new roommate right?”

“That would be me.”

“Ah, well sorry for hogging him yesterday. I know he was worried about helping you move,” Hyojong sheepishly grinned.

“Oh, it really wasn’t too bad! I don’t own a lot anyways,” Shinwon said with a shrug. 

“I see,” he said. “Well, Shinwon, it was nice meeting you. Give me a holler if you need anything,” he shot him finger guns as he retreated back down the stairs. 

Shinwon turned to face Yanan again, seeing the other staring out the window with his hands stuffed in his pockets. The other turned to meet his eye, pulling a chain out of his pocket. A deep blue amulet was attached to it. “I have this for you,” he held it toward Shinwon, waiting for him to take it. 

He was taken aback, but he reached for it, letting Yanan drop it into his hand. It was heavier than it looked, and maybe he was crazy but he could have sworn he felt energy leaking from it. “I… thanks, I think? What did I do to deserve such a thing?” He laughed, unhooking the chain and putting it around his neck. Despite it being heavy it wasn’t uncomfortable and if anything, it made him feel at ease. 

Yanan scratched the back of his neck. “I can’t go into too much detail or you’ll think I’m a madman, but I’m a bit superstitious. It’ll protect you from anything that means you harm,” he offered as an explanation. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_

“First Hongie, then Kino, and now you? Why is everyone so worried about me?” Shinwon wasn’t sure whether or not he should feel offended or unnerved by Yanan’s concern. 

“It’s not that any of us think you’re helpless, believe me. There’s just some… people who don’t mean well in the area. Can never be too safe, right?” The vagueness didn’t do anything to make Shinwon feel less confused about the situation. 

“Right…” his brain was working overtime trying to find answers. 

“Listen, you’re a smart guy so I’m sure you’ll figure out who to be wary of, but I’m paranoid. Just promise me you’ll wear it,” Yanan sighed. 

“Yeah… okay sure,” Shinwon looked down at the amulet with his eyebrows knitted together. 

-

He’d ended up buying a book with piano exercises ranging from beginner to expert as well as a mythology book and a sci fi book that was about vampire pirates in space. All valid purchases in his opinion. He always had had a weak spot for weird sci-fi novels. The more clashing elements thrown into the same book, the better. He’d also explored the thrift stores and bought a couple of new records while he was out before returning home. It was late afternoon by now and the house was quiet so he assumed that Hui and Hyunggu were both passed out in their rooms. 

He brushed his fingers along the piano as he passed it to get to the stairs. He moved quietly as he didn’t want to wake up his roommates. Once in his room, he put one of the records into his crate while he opened the other and set it on the player. This time it was The Hollies, and he made sure he had the volume quiet enough that he hopefully wouldn’t disturb Kino. Then, he unceremoniously flopped onto his bed with his book. 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Kino walked in. He’d managed to get a few chapters in and flip the record to the next side when he heard the sound of his door creaking open. He looked up to see the other, hair messy and face marked by his pillow from sleeping. “I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Shinwon said apologetically while the other shook his head. 

“Mmm no I woke up naturally so you don’t have to apologize. I didn’t even hear you come in!” He said softly, walking over to sit at the foot of his bed. “Did you have fun in town today?”

“Yeah! I went to the bookshop and I got this book…” he trailed off, wondering if he should tell the other about the weird encounter he had there.

“I’ll take it you met Hyo then! He’s pretty neat!” 

“Yeah! I also ran into Yanan too,” Shinwon began, absentmindedly stroking the amulet around his neck. 

“He give you that?” Kino gestured towards it and Shinwon immediately drew his hand back from it.

“Uh… yeah…”

The other continued to stare at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to continue speaking.

“He was kind of weird about it, but that wasn’t the only weird thing that happened while I was there… Yanan and Hyojong were having a weird conversation when I walked in,” Shinwon paused, watching the other’s expression. He couldn’t read Kino very well, so he continued, “I don’t know what they were talking about, but Yanan seemed worried about someone and was asking Hyojong to help him. They were talking about ingredients and Hyojong was worried about accidentally messing up whatever it was… I felt like I shouldn’t be listening so I didn’t stick around to hear much more but then Yanan gave me this and told me it was to protect me.”

“Can I see it?” Kino held out his hand, but his expression remained blank. Hesitantly, Shinwon undid the chain and then dropped the amulet in Kino’s hand. He was almost positive that when Yanan had given it to him it had been a deep blue, but in Kino’s hands it shone a deep violet. The other looked at it and weighed it in his hands before handing it back to Shinwon. 

“Any news, oh inspector?” Shinwon wasn’t even sure what to expect from Kino at this point.

“Well, he is right about the amulet protecting you. It’s a damn good one at that. I don’t want you to be alarmed, but Yanan is a witch,” Kino’s face was completely straight.

“Cool,” Shinwon said, putting the amulet back around his neck. It was back to the deep blue it’d been when Yanan had given him it.

“...Cool? That’s all you have to say?” Kino’s expression finally broke to something of surprise. 

“I mean I could feel something with it the moment he handed it to me. It makes sense to me,” he shrugged.

Kino shoved Shinwon lightly, with a laugh. “I guess it’s not surprising that you’re not shocked, considering all the shitty paranormal books you read.”

“You a witch too?”

Kino shook his head with a small laugh. “Bye, Shinwon,” he said, patting him on the knee before getting up and leaving the room.Shinwon watched the other leave and waited for the door to close and his footsteps to disappear down the stairs before dropping the book in his lap. 

_Yanan was a witch!?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET


	4. Chapter 4

Despite his previous concerns, it didn’t take Shinwon very long to settle in or get used to living with Hui and Hyunggu. Once the weekend was over and he got back to work, he quickly found a rhythm again. It was nice to no longer have to worry about finding a place to stay, but it was also weird having the time to just relax and breathe. Days turned into weeks and Shinwon’s belongings had a habit of finding their way out of his room. Hui didn’t come into his room much, but Hyunggu had quickly gotten into the habit of stealing his clothes. He couldn’t even be mad at the other when he saw how oversized they were on him. It was cute, although he’d never admit that out loud. 

He had the feeling that Hyunggu knew whether he said something or not. 

Yet he persisted on tormenting Shinwon. 

To his dismay, Hyunggu wasn’t the only one. Hui had a habit of sneaking up on Shinwon. While he’d known the other was clingy prior to moving in with him, it never made Shinwon any less flustered when he’d be in the middle of making coffee and suddenly he’d feel arms snake around his waist and a head rest on his neck. When he had met Hui, his immediate thought was that he was beautiful, and maybe the fact that he was more than eager to teach him piano and always being touchy had made him develop a little bit of a crush. 

It confused Shinwon and he didn’t like it. Feelings had never been his strong suit and he’d always had trouble deciphering how he truly felt. And now here he was, starting to catch them for both of his roommates. There was no way that anything good could come of it. If anything, it would just make the living situation more complicated. So Shinwon did what he did best: he took his feelings and put them in a metaphorical bottle and buried them deep down, resolving not to fall any further. Maybe it would work. 

Things weren’t any less confusing on the Yanan front. Ever since that day at the book shop, the other had more or less pretended that nothing had happened. He had pleasant conversations with Shinwon as usual, and didn’t so much as bring up anything about the amulet. He could see the way that he looked at the amulet when Shinwon was wearing it and he never missed the relieved expression that always came across his face, but other than that, Yanan continued his weird charade. Did he think Shinwon was just going to drop it? Especially after Hyunggu had told him he was a witch? 

Shinwon didn’t want to deal with tiptoeing around him anymore.

“Talk to me,” he said, leaning on the counter as Yanan began to make him a drink. He’d just gotten off of his shift at the record store and it was late enough that it was early. 

“Hm?” Yanan raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“You’ve been acting like nothing happened since you gave me this necklace-“

“Amulet,”

“Whatever. You’ve been acting like nothing happened since you gave me this _amulet_ and it’s getting old. I’m tired of dancing around each other. Hyunggu told me about you.” He didn’t specify what he meant, as Yuto was in the room too, lazily sipping at his coffee before his shift started upstairs. He wasn’t sure if the other knew anything. 

Yanan seemed to understand, and his eyebrows shot up, but then he sighed. “I should have expected as much from him,” he said. “I just didn’t want you to think I was a freak.”

“Why would I think you’re a freak? That’s badass, man.” 

Yanan tried - and failed - to hide a shaky laugh. “Leave it to Ko Shinwon to think that’s cool.”

“It is. I’d never drop you as a friend over something so silly,” he reassured, shooting a grin at the other. 

“Well, historically magical folk and humans don’t have the best track record,” he gently spun whipped cream on top of Shinwon’s hot chocolate. 

“I guess that’s fair. The things people do to each other out of fear, huh?” Shinwon said with a pout. 

“Yeah,” Yanan trailed off. “Anyways, since you know now, I have this for you,” the other produced a tin. Shinwon took it with a raised eyebrow and opened it to see tea satchels. He scrunched his eyebrows together. “I know you don’t like tea, but it’s kind of… a potion. Brew it like tea every night before you go to bed and it’ll… let’s just say it’ll protect you. I’d make sure Hui and Hyunggu know you have it if I were you. Also I enchanted it, so it won’t taste like tea. It’ll taste like whatever you want it to.”

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll drink it but only if you tell me exactly what it’s for.” Shinwon crossed his arms. Since he had moved to that town, everyone had been treating him like he needed to be protected, and he wasn’t sure what it was about. It was getting to the point of being irritating. He wasn’t some damsel in distress. He could handle himself, even if he wasn’t built like Hongseok.

Yanan sighed, shaking his head. “Not out here,” he finally said. He put a sign on the counter that said be back soon, handed Shinwon his drink and gestured him to follow him into the break room. He closed the door behind him and sat down on a couch. Yanan paced back and forth and Shinwon could feel the frustration radiating off of him. 

“Well?”

“The potion will protect you from being compelled by vampires.” Yanan blurted out. 

“Compelled? What does that mean?”

“Compulsion is like a type of mind control. It can be used in various ways, whether it means making it so you don’t fight back, making you perform specific tasks, or making you forget something. It can also be used to change the way you think about things,” Yanan explained.

“Also? Vampires? Is this city just full of magical folk? Any other things I should know about? Who should I be worried about?” Shinwon didn’t hesitate to bombard the other with questions. 

“You’re not close to anyone who would put you in harm’s way,” Yanan reassured. “You’re taking this surprisingly well. Most people would assume I was playing a prank. Or be afraid.”

Shinwon shrugged. “I have a mentality that everything exists until proven otherwise. People can say myths and legends are myths and legends all they want, but without proof, it means nothing.”

“Alright then…” Yanan sighed, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable. Just promise me you’ll drink the potion every night and be sure to tell me once you’re starting to get low so I can make you more. There’s people after you and they’re dangerous, Shinwon.”

“Who?”

“Not anyone you’re close with. Although, I’m afraid you might begin to remember things you’ve previously forgotten once you start drinking this.”

“You’re really gonna tell me this town is filled with vampires and witches and who knows what else but not tell me who?”

“It’s not my place to tell. People will tell you when they’re ready.” 

The gears were turning in Shinwon’s head as he tried to put pieces together. Vampires. Okay. 

-

He didn’t sleep when he got home. It was past 3 am, but he was wide awake. Instead, he texted Yanan every question imaginable. The other would just have to deal with it.

**FrailState95:** Mirrors?

**Banan:** Myth.

**FrailState95:** Stakes?

**Banan:** Why? You plan on endangering my friends?

**FrailState95:** Hell no.

**Banan:** Right. Kind of a fact, but it has to have a special enchantment or it’ll just heal up right away.

**FrailState95:** what about sunlight? Do vampires turn into ashes in the sun?

**Banan:** Nah, but it’s not pleasant either. It’s more like a really bad sunburn. Most of them prefer to avoid going out during the day but it’s not impossible. It’s just inconvenient.

**FrailState95:** hm… okay! garlic?

**Banan:** Complete bullshit. Everyone I know loves garlic and I think it’s partially out of spite due to that myth. Idek where it came from tbh,,

**FrailState95:** oooo okay well u said they can compel people, but can they do other shit? What about shape shifting into like,, bats?

**Banan:** The bat myth came about because of some having bats as a familiar. Vampires can’t turn into bats. Leave the shapeshifting to the werewolves, alright? They do have other abilities tho. Most of them have some degree of super speed and strength, occasionally some will have other abilities.

**FrailState95:** okay we’ll loop back to the werewolves later but what other types of abilities are we talkin?

**Banan:** Shinwon, I’m at work. I can’t play q&a all night. 

**FrailState95:** okokokokokokok just that last question i promise,, pwetty pwease :(

**Banan:** hhh okay but after this I’m turning my phone off. 

**Banan:** Well, one that I know can kind of read minds. It’s not like straight up knowing exactly what you’re thinking but more of a vibe check. Like if they wanted to, they could find out what types of things you would or wouldn’t like. 

**Banan:** I also know of some who have premonitions or some degree of telekinesis,, but again. Having other abilities is p uncommon. Most of them just have speed, strength, and compulsion. 

**FrailState95:** oooooooooooooo….

**Banan:** Goodnight, Shinwon. 

**FrailState95:** Goodnight <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 [Message Failed To Send]

Shinwon dropped his phone on his lap and sighed, staring at his ceiling. He’d since stuck glow in the dark stars all over it, and they made him feel dreamy. He still had tons of questions, but from his failed message, he was sure Yanan hadn’t hesitated in turning his phone off. He glanced at his clock. 3:23 am. He sighed, getting up from his bed and heading down to the kitchen, tin in hand. He could hear the faint sound of music coming from Hui’s room and Hyunggu was curled up on the couch, watching a movie.

“Hey,” he said when he heard Shinwon’s footsteps. 

“Hey,” the taller replied. He watched as Shinwon wandered into the kitchen, his eyebrow raised in confusion when he saw him set the kettle on the stove and grab a tea satchel.

“Whatcha got there?”

“Oh, right. I finally confronted Yanan because I was sick of him tiptoeing around me. He gave me these. He also said I should probably warn you and Hui about it, whatever that…” he trailed off, staring at the satchel in his hand. _No fucking way._

He whirled around and came face to face with a wide eyed Hyunggu. “I’ll go get Hui,” was all the other said, before seemingly vanishing from sight. Shinwon stared at the empty space where Hyunggu had been, his jaw hanging open. He knew he was oblivious, but he didn’t realize just how oblivious he was. 

He didn’t even exhale before Hui and Hyunggu were standing in front of him. “We have some talking to do,” came Hui’s soft voice.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Shinwon said with an exasperated sigh. He wandered over to take a seat at the table, waiting for the pair to join him. They both stared at him dumbly before hesitantly wandering over.

They sat in silence, neither Hui or Hyunggu knowing how to bring up the topic. Shinwon stared at them with a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms. He could hear the water beginning to boil in the kettle, but not enough for it to whistle yet. “I’m waiting,” he said. 

“We were going to tell you,” Hui began.

“Oh really? When?”

Hui didn’t have an answer. Shinwon wasn’t mad at them, more astonished than anything. But that didn’t change the fact that he was a little hurt that they hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him sooner. Hell, Hyunggu had wasted no time in telling him Yanan was a witch, so he didn’t understand why he couldn’t have told the rest of the truth. 

“We had to be sure.” Hyunggu’s voice was small.

“Sure? Of what? You should know more than anyone that I wouldn’t so much as hurt a fly, Hyunggu.” The other winced at the hurt that dripped from Shinwon’s voice.

“I… I know.” The other hung his head. 

“Well. Now that we’ve got that out of the way. I’m willing to forgive you both. But you _have_ to promise to be honest with me from now on, okay? I trusted you both, so the least you could do is not pretend that nothing has happened.”

The pair across from him stared at the table. The kettle began to whistle so Shinwon stood up without waiting for a response, pouring himself a mug and dropping the tea satchel in. He brought the mug back to the table and sat it in front of him, staring at the others with an expectant expression.

“Okay.” Hui said. 

“You’ve got it, scout’s honor.” Hyunggu. 

“Great.” Shinwon smiled, raising his mug and then taking a sip. Despite it certainly not having enough time to steep in tea standards, he was immediately overpowered by the flavor. It was deep and chocolatey. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was drinking hot chocolate, not tea. “Wow,” he said, staring at the mug incredulously.

“Is… is that it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t have any questions or anything? You don’t even seem surprised.”

“I’m more surprised that I didn’t catch on sooner. Especially with that fucking painting at the book store.” 

Hyunggu blushed. “You saw that?”

“Yeah. Why haven’t you painted me like one of your french girls yet, hm?” Shinwon leaned across the table, giving the other a wink.

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve done a traditional painting like that,” Hyunggu began.

“Nonsense, that was a masterpiece. Don’t sell yourself short like that,” Shinwon shot back.

“I. Okay. Well, whenever you’re up to it, I promise to do a painting of you. But you’ll have to sit still. No fidgeting or being annoying. Think you can handle that?” The other finally replied.

“Aye aye,Hyunggu~” Shinwon grinned. His body began to feel heavy though, and he attributed it to potion. There was definitely a reason that Yanan had told him to drink it before sleeping, and he could feel it loud and clear. He rested his chin in his hands, yawning and shutting his eyes. 

“What kinda potion did Yanan give you?” Hui asked, poking Shinwon in the shoulder to keep him from falling asleep.

“He said,,, he said it would make it so I couldn’t get,,, compelled,,,” He managed, but his mind was already too groggy for him to think clearly. “He said to take it before sleeping,, I think this is why,” his eyelids fluttered shut again.

He could hear Hui and Hyunggu talking in soft voices, but he wasn’t processing it anymore, letting sleep take over his body. The last thing he was aware of was the sensation of someone picking him up and carrying him, but he was out cold before they even reached their destination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom up zoom zoom zoom zoom up


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter’s a bit longer than the past couple, but I hope y’all enjoy!!

Shinwon was comfortable. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was morning, but he would have been content to keep sleeping. He must have been really tired because his blankets had never felt so comfortable, and the way he sunk into the mattress was just right. He yawned, stretching out, vaguely aware of the scent of coffee. 

And his foot hit something.

“Hey, watch it!”

Someone. 

Shinwon opened his eyes, sitting straight up. For a panicked moment, he was disoriented. He wasn’t in his room and the surroundings were unfamiliar. But then he saw Hyunggu, sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He must’ve fallen asleep there and slumped forward on the bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… why am I in your room?”

Hyunggu stared at Shinwon with wide eyes, blinking a couple of times as if Shinwon had asked the most absurd question, but then he seemed to remember. “Ah. I was worried when Yanan’s potion knocked you out so quickly. I just wanted to make sure it didn’t have any weird effects.” His voice was soothing and he gave a smile that showed in the way that his eyes crinkled. 

“Why didn’t you just take me to my room and check up on me?” Shinwon teased.

“Your room is stinky.”

“No it’s not! I keep it very clean and I don’t leave laundry around or dishes!” 

“It’s still stinky. It’s better now, but it still smells like Hongseok’s house and he’s stinky.” Hyunggu said as if the answer should have been obvious. 

“I’ve never noticed anything wrong with how he smells unless he’s just been to the gym, but you’re the one with heightened senses, not me,” Shinwon said, crossing his arms. Then, “I don’t stink, do I?”

“That’s the thing you’re concerned about?”

“Yeah. I mean if you have heightened senses, do different people smell like different things?”

Hyunggu laughed. “I guess you could say that. Wanna know how you smell?” 

Shinwon nodded eagerly.

He didn’t expect Hyunggu to launch himself at him, pinning him down and inhaling deeply. He waited a beat. Two. “You smell like flesh,” Hyunggu whispered into his ear, but he couldn’t even get the whole sentence out before he burst out laughing. 

Shinwon stared up at Hyunggu, dumbfounded. 

“You should have seen your face, Shinwon,” the other continued laughing. Shinwon just stared at him with wide brown eyes. His mind was racing with a million thoughts and only one at the same time. 

He reached up, gently cupping the other’s cheek with one of his hands. Hyunggu’s smile dropped as he stared at Shinwon, anticipating what the other would do next. “Fuck you,” Shinwon’s voice was still raspy from sleep as he whispered it, trying to push any other thoughts from his brain. It had the desired effect, and he couldn’t help but smirk victoriously as Hyunggu’s face flushed and he sat up. Before the other could say anything in retaliation, a loud sip came from the corner of the room. 

Shinwon and Hyunggu sprang apart, both of their faces turning pink as Hui continued to drink his coffee from his seat, book on his lap. He looked up at the two staring at him in horror as if he hadn’t realized they were even there, but they knew it was complete bullshit. “Good morning,” he simply said, his mug still held to his lips. “Coffee?” He gestured with his free hand to a pair of mugs that sat on Hyunggu’s desk, steam rising from them slowly. 

“Lee Hwitaek, you’re the love of my life,” Shinwon sighed as he stood up and strode across the room to grab a mug. Now that he was more fully awake, he was able to observe the surroundings. It wasn’t that Hyunggu was necessarily a private person, but Shinwon had never had any reason to be in the other’s room before. It was only slightly larger than Shinwon’s own room, and significantly more cluttered than his. It wasn’t messy cluttered. Simply cluttered. The walls were white and he had a couple shelves that were filled with a combination of books and plants. More plants lined his windowsill, and in the corner there was an easel and small wooden stool. A palette and a jar filled with paint brushes rested on the stool, but the canvas that sat on the easel was still untouched. 

Next to where he’d grabbed his mug, there was a small stack of books. Most of them were poetry books, a few were plays as well. Apart from the books, the mugs, and a few more plants, the desk was empty. The bed, which Hyunggu was now preoccupied with making, had a nice frame. Shinwon held back a laugh as he noticed the fact that it was claw footed. Not only that, but it had a canopy that was a pale lilac and had vines twirling their way around it. He couldn’t even be surprised. Leave it to Hyunggu to have a room that looked like something out of a fairytale. 

“How’d you sleep?” Hui asked, bringing Shinwon’s attention back to him.

“Honestly? I don’t know the last time I slept so soundly. That stuff was like magic… well I guess it literally was, huh?” He laughed, taking a sip from his mug. 

“I’m glad. Please be sure to let us know if anything feels wrong though…” Hui trailed off, and Shinwon waited, sensing that the other still had more to say. “There are some things that you might start to remember as you drink that more regularly, so please ask either of us any questions that you might get.”

“Remember? Did you make me forget stuff?” Shinwon froze, staring at Hui. The other stared back at him for a moment, before deciding that his coffee was easier to stare at. 

“I… yeah. Not anything important but… somebody came by a few times shortly after you moved in. He kept bothering you so I made him leave, and then I made you fall back asleep. I was trying to protect you. I know we still haven’t known each other long, but I’d never do anything to harm you, okay?” Hui’s eyes were pleading and Shinwon could tell that the other felt bad about the whole situation.

“Well. There’s nothing to change that now. I guess I’ll let it slide since you were just trying to protect me. Will I remember anything about this guy? Is he anyone I already know?”

“I don’t think so. He doesn’t usually stick around in town for long. He’s bad news, Shinwon. I need you to promise me you’ll stay away from him. Trust me when I say he doesn’t have your best interests in mind.” 

“Alright.” Shinwon simply said, taking another sip from his coffee. His memory was foggy, so he still didn’t have any idea what Hui was talking about. But it added up. The restless nights where he could have sworn he slept plenty but woke up feeling like he’d been in and out of sleep, the random gaps of time that he’d just completely lost. It hadn’t happened often enough for Shinwon to have thought anything too much of it before, but now that he knew it made sense. 

“Hey,” Shinwon’s voice was soft as he reached out to rustle Hui’s hair. “You were doing what you thought was right. I’m not mad at you, so stop looking so down, okay?” 

“Okay,” Hui looked up at Shinwon with a small smile. 

-

That day at work, Shinwon was hyper aware of everything and everyone around him. He couldn’t help but wonder if everyone in town was magical - who was he kidding, that would have been the coolest thing ever. Part of him was still the kid who’d begged his parents for those Vampirolgy and Dragonology books back in grade school. He’d never truly outgrown the ‘obsessed with all things paranormal’ phase he’d had. Finding out some of those things were real only made him more interested. 

Wooseok still had an hour left of his shift until Yuto came to take over for him. He was currently slumped against the counter, drumming his fingers against the glass of the display and humming absentmindedly to AC/DC. Every once in a while, he’d let out a low yawn, stretching out long limbs and cracking his neck. 

Shinwon busied himself with shelving records that Jinho had finished pricing out, putting them in the correct sections based on their labels, but it didn’t take him long to finish that so he took a seat behind the counter with Wooseok, spinning around in his chair and trying to get his mind to stop racing. 

“So, how are things going, lover boy?” Wooseok’s deep voice cut through the music, causing Shinwon to almost fall out of his chair.

“I told you not to call me that,” Shinwon grumbled, dramatically facepalming. “I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m  _ trying  _ to keep everything bottled up, but goddamnit they’re making things hard for me.”

“Why don’t you just confess to them both?”

It seemed simple to Wooseok, but Shinwon wasn’t sure if the younger was grasping the whole picture. “There’s so many reasons. Even if they’re both affectionate with me, that doesn’t mean anything, and I don’t even know what their relationship with each other is. I wouldn’t wanna make anything weird. And we live together. One wrong thing and that could make the whole living situation a disaster.”

“You’re overthinking.”

“And you’re underthinking.”

“Listen. You can keep wallowing and gushing to me about two people who very clearly seem to like you, and continue to not make any sort of move, or you could actually do something.”

“I almost kissed Hyunggu earlier,” Shinwon blurted. 

Wooseok stared at him with a raised eyebrow. “Well, why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. I panicked. I ended up cupping his face and saying ‘fuck you’ like an idiot.” Wooseok snorted and Shinwon pouted. “I just. Any time I feel like I’m about to do something, it’s like a fight or flight response kicks in in my brain and I suddenly don’t know how to do anything. I’ve always been bad with relationships so how am I supposed to tell not only one, but two people that I’m whipped for them?”

“Relax. I’m sure you’ll figure it out with time. I won’t force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, I just don’t wanna see you moping around over something that is clearly within reach.” 

“You’re right,” Shinwon said with a defeated sigh. “You’re always right. Why are you so wise? Aren’t you like twelve?”

“And aren’t you like eighty?” Wooseok retaliated.

“Nah if we’re calling anyone here a grandpa, it’s definitely Yuto,” Shinwon said, gesturing as the other walked in the door.

“Eighty’s lowballing it,” Yuto simply replied, setting his bag behind the counter and taking a sip of his coffee. 

Wooseok let out a hearty laugh and Shinwon tilted his head in confusion. Yuto never talked much, but when he did, it was always some cryptic bullshit. That, or he was teasing Wooseok. 

“Stop laughing, you’ll stink up the room with your puppy breath,” Yuto said, covering Wooseok’s mouth with his hand. Shinwon didn’t have to have any sort of ability to know exactly what was going to happen next. He let out a snort when Wooseok stuck his tongue out, running it along Yuto’s palm causing the other to draw his hand away immediately with a yelp of protest. “You’re disgusting.”

“But you love me,” the other purred, resting his head in his hands and batting his eyelashes. Yuto only responded by shaking his head with a sigh and taking another sip of his coffee.

Shinwon couldn’t help but feel longing as he watched the pair of them interact. They were so comfortable and he yearned for that level of comfort and domesticity with Hui and Hyunggu. Relationship or not, he wanted them all to be comfortable around him. He could only hope that that would come sooner rather than later now that he knew the full truth.

-

It took less than a week for things to settle back to normal - or at least as normal as they could be. It didn’t take Hui and Hyunggu very long to stop tiptoeing around Shinwon, and they quickly grew used to him knowing the truth. Shinwon still had a lot of questions, but he didn’t want to risk making either of them uncomfortable by bombarding them, so he kept his curiosity to himself. Or texted Yanan.

But with time, memories started to come back. They were hazy at first, but as his body got used to Yanan’s potion, they started to clear up more and more. Changgu. He didn’t know much about the guy other than his name, the fact that he’d callen him both a princess and a pet, and seemed to want to kidnap him. He also knew that every time Changgu had appeared outside, Hui was quick to chase him away. 

Somehow, it didn’t bring much comfort. If the guy had been this persistent so far, who knew what else he was planning, right? 

“Yanan’s potion will keep him from doing anything. So will the amulet he gave you. And I think I speak for both of us when I say me and Hui would rather die than let that bastard pull anything,” Hyunggu’s voice broke Shinwon from his thoughts and he looked up at the other in confusion. “Ah, sorry. I try not to read people too much but sometimes it’s hard to turn off,” he reached for Shinwon’s hand and squeezed it apologetically. 

“Ah. So you’re who Yanan was referring to, then?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“When I found out about vampires I bombarded him with random questions and he told me some of you have other abilities. He referred to yours as a ‘vibe check’.” Shinwon said, staring into the bowl of soup Hyunggu had placed in front of him. 

“Well, you don’t have to interrogate him anymore. You have me and Hui to tell you anything you’re curious about!” Hyunggu said cheerfully. Just as quickly as his name was spoken, Hui strolled into the kitchen, taking a seat in front of him. 

“Are you sure? I didn’t want to overstep or anything. I don’t know a lot so I don’t wanna accidentally offend you.” Shinwon scratched the back of his neck. The pair in front of him just stared at him expectantly.

“How are we supposed to live together if you know nothing about us, hm?” Hui questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“He’s right. There’s not any questions I can think of that’d be considered offensive anyways! It’s not like they teach humans about magical folk in school. The closest thing to that is mythology courses, right?” 

“I guess so,” Shinwon said, dipping his spoon into the bowl and taking a sip. It was still hot, and it was thick and creamy. For someone who didn’t need to eat normal food, Hyunggu was probably one of the best cooks that Shinwon knew. He wasn’t sure where to begin and the pair in front of him only made him feel more under pressure. 

“Well, let’s start with what you already know via Yanan. What types of questions did you ask him?”

“Oh,” Shinwon shrugged, mildly embarrassed. “I mean, I guess I mostly asked him about the common myths that you always hear as a kid. I was curious how much of it was true and how much was bs. Yes, immortal; no, garlic; kinda, sunlight; kinda, stakes; no, bats. The bat thing woulda been cool though.”

Hui let out a snort. “Well you already know plenty of werewolves. Leave the shapeshifting to- ow!” Hyunggu elbowed him, with a raised eyebrow.

Shinwon narrowed his eyes. “Right. If y’all won’t tell me, I’ll figure it out on my own with my natural charms.”

“Anyways-“

“No, I’d like to hear more about Shinwon’s natural charms-“ Hyunggu’s attempt at changing the subject was lost as Hui grinned at Shinwon from across the table. 

“Oh, I’m sure you would. You haven’t reached the level required to access those yet. What can I say, I’m an all natural man-“ Shinwon practically purred.

Hyunggu spit out his drink. 

“And what does it take to unlock ‘All-Natural Shinwon’?”

“Well,” Shinwon began, “there’s a series of quests that need to be completed. A date at the very least. That quest is an essential step.”

“Mmm, that can be arranged. How does Friday sound?” Hui didn’t miss a beat. 

“Friday would be perfect,” Shinwon said, making a show of batting his eyelashes. 

Hyunggu stared between the pair in confusion, before pouting. “That’s not fair. You cheated,” he grumbled.

“Did not. I won fair and square. Pay up,” Hui held out his hand and made a show of wiggling his eyebrows.

What?

Now it was Shinwon’s turn to be confused as he stared at the two across from him with his head tilted. “What the hell were you placing bets on?”

“Who would ask who out first. Hyunggu thought he was more charming than me, but little did he know I have my ways-“

Shinwon stared, dumbfounded. Not only did Hui ask him out - well it was kinda mutual if he was being honest considering that he was the one who said he needed to go on a date - but Hyunggu had been planning on doing so as well? Neither of them seemed phased by any of it. He looked between them, gears turning in his mind. Was there something between the two of them that he’d just failed to pick up on? 

“Wonnie, you’re going to give yourself a headache at this rate,” Hyunggu’s voice came. 

“Right… well even if you lost, maybe I can squeeze you in another time,” Shinwon said with a shrug. 

“And he’s back in the running!” Hui teased.

“I would like to make one thing clear though. No more placing bets on me, alright? There’s plenty of Shinwon to go around~”

-

Eventually, Hui and Hyunggu gave Shinwon the rundown of all the gaps that Yanan hadn’t filled in. They did have fangs (to Shinwon’s delight), but they were retractable. Hyunggu hadn’t hesitated to explain that unless they were feeding, fangs served no purpose and were more or less in the way. They did feed on humans, but usually they just got it from the blood bank or hospitals (they had their connections). Most vampires didn’t kill when they fed and it was typically frowned upon, but the few who did were merciless and the reason why they were the topic of so many horror stories. 

“Is this Changgu guy like that?” 

“Yeah,” Hui had answered with a sigh, “but let’s not focus on him, alright?”

According to Hyunggu, although they could drink animal blood, it didn’t provide as much nutrients for them and the taste was generally comparable to spoiled milk. Blood bags had the nutrients but it was more or less like drinking soda that had gone flat. Fresh blood was obviously desirable but neither Hui or Hyunggu went out of their way to feed on humans. If they had connections, might as well use them rather than waste their time and energy finding someone to feed on, right? 

Apparently vampire venom wasn’t the main factor in turning someone into a vampire, and there was a more complicated process for that type of thing. 

“It’s main purpose is for feeding. It’s… how do I describe it,” Hui had begun, struggling for words. Shinwon didn’t miss the way that the other’s ears were quick to turn pink. “Vampires are predatory right? Our venom doesn’t poison or harm our prey. It’s more of a… sedative? That’s not quite the best way to put it but it more or less subdues whoever or whatever we’re feeding on to keep them from struggling or running away. If a vampire was bitten by another vampire, it would have a similar effect, just to a lesser degree. I won’t go into too much detail about it though. It’s kind of embarrassing,” Hui had laughed and Shinwon tilted his head. If Hui was embarrassed to talk about it, then there must have been more to it, but Shinwon wouldn’t pry if the other wasn’t ready to explain it. 

Hyunggu, on the other hand, had been completely unphased by the topic of discussion. “What Hui means is that it’s basically an aphrodisiac”.

“Oh. Alrighty then,” it was Shinwon’s turn to be flustered. He wasn’t sure what to do with that information. That wasn’t necessarily the type of knowledge he’d intended to acquire. 

Hyunggu also took the conversation as a chance to tell Shinwon a bit more about their past. Apparently Hui was old as hell. Old enough that he no longer remembered what his life as a human had been like and only had vague memories of the decades after being turned. He’d met - and turned - Hyunggu in the 18th century (although neither of them remembered the exact year). Seeing the two men bickering about whether it was 1736 or 1763, Shinwon would have never guessed that they were centuries older than him. They acted the same as one would expect guys in their 20s to act. 

Hyunggu also explained that while early on they had been lovers, with time the label had fallen away. 

“It’s not that we  _ don’t  _ love each other. It’s more that when you’ve been alive for such a long time, you begin to realize how ridiculous labels actually are. That and you realize that monogamy is kind of a lost cause. You meet a lot of interesting people and kinda have to learn to accept that you’re gonna love multiple people, yeah?” 

“That makes a lot of sense. I haven’t been alive long at all and I think labels and monogamy are both stupid,” Shinwon simply replied with a shrug. He supposed that made sense as to why he wouldn’t have picked up on anything between the pair of them prior. Even though they loved each other, they had known each other for so long that they got used to each others’ presences and knew everything about the other. It wasn’t lack of passion as much as being 100% comfortable in their relationship and each other, enough that they didn’t need to worry about being hopeless romantics. 

“That’s good to know. At first, we were worried that you’d be weirded out if we both asked you out. Obviously we realized how ridiculous that was to worry about very quickly,” Hui had said with a grin. 

“Lemme guess, you vibe checked me?”

“Didn’t need to,” Hyunggu had grinned at Shinwon from across the table, “you’re very bad at hiding it when you’re pining, you know?” 

At that, Shinwon had turned a deep shade of red, burying his face in his hands. Maybe he was oblivious, but the other two sure were not. Had he really been that obvious? He willed himself to think back over every interaction. He guessed the whole cupping Hyunggu’s cheek thing the other day had probably been a big tell. Especially considering the fact that he himself thought he was gonna kiss him until his brain forced a snarky comment out of his mouth instead. 

“Now now, no need to be embarrassed. Who wouldn’t want some of this?” Hui teased. Hyunggu had just shook his head with a laugh, making a show of rolling his eyes. 

“Can I ask why me? I mean I know we haven’t even been on a date or anything, but what made me catch your eye?” Shinwon looked between them in confusion. “I mean if anything, I’m pretty normal. It’s just hard to wrap my head around the fact that geezers like you guys see anything in me…”

“Ignoring the fact that you just called us geezers, you’re anything but normal Ko Shinwon. You’re one of the most unbelievable people I’ve ever met. Hui might have been the first to ask you out, but I was the first to fall by a long shot. I don’t wanna say it was love at first sight because - like you said - we haven’t even been on a first date yet. I don’t wanna jump the gun like that. But the moment I met you, something immediately drew me to you. I don’t know how else to explain it. Everything just felt right, like it was fate.”

Shinwon couldn’t help but blush. He knew Hyunggu was sappy, but that had taken the cake. 

“I had to listen to him whine about you for a few weeks straight. And then when he texted me asking if you could move in and I walked into the coffee shop, I knew we were in for it.”

The fact that he hadn’t been the only one who was pining amazed him. He hadn’t even noticed it, but seemingly everyone else around him had. He remembered Wooseok’s words of wisdom. The other had said that they both clearly liked him back, but he’d been blind to it the whole time. 

“I think we broke him,” Hyunggu whispered, leaning over to Hui. The other simply laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3

Shinwon had no idea what to wear. He didn’t own many nice clothes, and Hui had expensive tastes. He didn’t want to show up at a fancy restaurant underdressed. Hui had also insisted multiple times on paying. Shinwon had tried to argue it - besides it wasn’t like Hui had any need for human food. It seemed ridiculous for him to pay. But the other was stubborn and had just smiled at him.

“Hyunggu,” Shinwon whined, knocking on the other’s door. 

“Come in~”

“I don’t know what to wear,” he said with a pout as he cracked open the door to see the other curled up with a book, staring at him expectantly. 

“Relax. I don’t think Hui cares what you wear. You live with him, remember. He’s seen you when you’re stinky and haven’t showered and he’s still whipped for you!”

“Yeah but what if he takes me somewhere fancy? I don’t wanna show up in jeans and a band tee shirt too a restaurant where everyone else is in… I dunno, tuxes?”

Hyunggu laughed. “You’re overthinking it, you big baby. We don’t have anywhere that fancy in town. I’ll help you pick something out if you’re that worried, though…”

“You’re the best!” Shinwon shuffled back to his room, Hyunggu right behind him. He watched as the other looked through his drawers and closet, holding his chin as if in deep thought. Finally, he grabbed a yellow floral button down shirt along with a pair of faded blue skinny jeans. 

“Put these on,” he tossed the pile to Shinwon who looked down at it with a frown.

“I  _ hate  _ yellow.”

“Then why do you own that shirt? I think yellow would suit you nicely. You’re the one who asked for my advice. Now put it on!” 

“I… okay…” 

“What? Do you need me to turn around?”

“No no no, it’s fine!” Shinwon said although his ears turned pink, betraying him. Hyunggu simply laughed, taking a seat at the other’s desk and waiting. Shinwon sighed, pulling off his sleep shirt and putting on the button down, and then changing into the jeans. 

“Great, now come here,” Shinwon shuffled over, blushing as the other took the front of his shirt and tucked a piece of it into his jeans. “This looks refined, but relaxed. I learned it from Queer Eye. It’s called a ‘French Tuck’. Now roll your jeans just enough so your ankles show. Hui has a thing for that. I’d recommend pairing it with your brown converse.” 

“Aye, aye.” Shinwon said, obeying the other’s instructions. “Not bad,” he said finally, as he took a look at himself in the mirror. “I still hate yellow, but I look good so I’ll let it slide. You’re a lifesaver, babe~” he threw a wink over his shoulder, causing Hyunggu to laugh.

“Anytime,” he said, patting him on the shoulder and walking out of the room. 

Shinwon admired his reflection in the mirror a little longer. Maybe yellow wasn’t so bad, after all.

-

The restaurant in question was a diner that Shinwon had somehow never noticed. He was sure he’d walked down that street plenty of times, but there it was, nestled on the floor above one of the thrift shops that he frequented. He wasn’t sure how he’d missed it because it was pretty hard to miss in the first place. It had a sign that read “Best Eats In Town - We’ve Got Something For Everybody! (Yes,  _ Everybody! _ )” followed by a winking face giving a thumbs up. It seemed like a hole in the wall type of place, but from experience, Shinwon had learned that sometimes those were the best places. 

Hui led Shinwon up the stairs towards the entrance and then paused in front of the door. “I should probably warn you, there’s a lot of interesting people who come here. Also there’s a lot of people like me who work here and frequent this place. Nobody inside keeps it a secret because it’s sort of a safe zone. It’s enchanted so normal folk don’t notice it unless they’re trying to go there.”

“Ah,” Shinwon said, nodding quickly. “Sounds good to me,” he reached for Hui’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Let’s go inside then. I’m starving!”

“Me too,” Hui said, squeezing his hand back and leading them through the doors.

The interior of the restaurant looked like a stereotypical diner. It had the black and white tile floors, LED lights, plush colorful booth seats and chrome rimmed tables. There were a variety of posters and stickers plastering the walls ranging from old school rock tour flyers to stickers that said things like “Eat the rich (literally)!” and “A pack for a pack,” (which was accompanied by a cartoonish image of a wolf smoking a cigarette. Elvis drifted over the speakers and Shinwon gave Hui a nod of approval. 

They waited in the doorway until a host came to seat them. Shinwon did a double take. The host in question also did a double take.

“Hongseok!?”

“Shinwon!?”

Hongseok stared at the pair with an expression of surprise. He wore a uniform of black pants and a short sleeved white button down. He also wore a black apron and one of those retro diner hats. He wore a name tag that prominently displayed his name, as well as a few buttons including a pronouns button and sparkly blue one with a crescent moon. 

The other turned to Hui. “Does he… you know… know about you?”

“Yeah,” Hui nodded. 

“What about…”

“I didn’t tell him anything, don’t worry so much.”

“What about you? You’re not-“

“I’m not like him, not that that would worry you since you’re here with him right now. Don’t worry about it,” Hongseok was quick to cut Shinwon off. “Now, allow me to do my job and try not to be too annoying, okay? I’m the only one on the floor right now.” 

The pair gladly followed Hongseok to a table and he handed them each a menu. “Can I get you anything to drink to start off? Hui don’t answer, I already know your order-“

“I’m fine with water. Oh! Wait, I’ll take a chocolate shake with no cherry~” Shinwon grinned as he noticed the shake menu. 

“Alright. I’ll be right back with those,” Hongseok said after scribbling down the order on his notepad. 

“So if he’s not a vampire then-“ 

“Stop being nosy. He’ll rip my head off if I tell you. He’ll tell you when he’s ready- or you’ll figure it out yourself. This is supposed to be a date, not a quest to solve the mystery of Yang Hongseok, alright?” Hui poked Shinwon lightly on the forehead.

“Yeah. You’re right. I can’t help being a nosy bitch though, you know me~” Shinwon laughed.

Hongseok returned quickly with a tray, setting down a shake and glass of water in front of Shinwon and then a glass that Shinwon could only assume contained blood in front of Hui. “I’ll give you two a minute to look over the menu~” he said, before going to seat more people. 

Shinwon took a sip of his shake and then moaned. “This is the best shake I’ve  _ ever  _ had,” he said, making a show of licking his lips.

“Yeah. Everything here is like that. The menu seems pretty normal for a diner when you look at it, but then they bring you the food and it’s to die for,” Hui laughed. “I figured this would be a good place to take you. You seem like the kinda guy who’s heart is in his stomach~” 

“Hey,” Shinwon laughed, lightly punching the other’s shoulder.

“Am I wrong?”

“Not really…” 

The pair of them began to scan their menus. Shinwon saw the typical array of burgers and fries, chicken, and fish for a diner to have. He also saw that they had lots of different toppings to choose from and most of them didn’t cost extra either. Shinwon decided to order ‘The Brek’, which was a double burger with cheese, an egg, bacon, ‘Morning Sauce’ (which Hui assured him was to die for), and crispy onions. Hui chose a burger called ‘Orlok’s Supreme’, and Shinwon couldn’t help but laugh at the reference. 

“Didn’t know you were a fan of silent films…”

“I am a man of culture! You’ve seen my record collection~” 

“I saw Nosferatu when it first was released. Me and Hyunggu had been traveling throughout Europe for some time and when we heard about it, we couldn’t help ourselves. The audience was gripping their seats with suspense, and meanwhile me and Hyunggu were sitting in the back of the theater hysterically laughing,” Hui said. 

“That doesn’t surprise me in the least. What did you think of the shitshow that was Twilight?”

“I liked the bit where they made the vampires sparkly. Peak comedy, if you ask me. Hyunggu absolutely despised Twilight from the get go. It wasn’t even about how accurate it was or wasn’t - he just thought it was poorly written and that Edward was a creep-“

“Well, he kinda was. I hope y’all never watched me sleep without my knowing.”

“Hell no. He was, however, a big fan of the Vampire Diaries. Both the books and the show. He had such a crush on Damon it was ridiculous,” Hui laughed. 

“And what about you? What team were you?”

“I didn’t care for either of the brothers. I was team Klaus. Who doesn’t love a sexy and mysterious man with an accent,” Hui said, resting his chin in his hands and staring wistfully. 

“Ya know what, that doesn’t surprise me either,” Shinwon snickered. 

“What about you?” 

“I didn’t like the show that much if I’m being honest. It was too much teen romance and drama for my taste and I can’t stand dramas. I like suspense a lot more…”

“Oh? Is that so? You always striked me as the jumpy sort. I wouldn’t have pegged you as a horror movie junkie.”

“You calling me a coward, Hwitaek?”

“Oh no, not at all!” Hui shot up his hands in defense, shaking his head quickly.

“Good. If you were, I’d have to kill you…” Shinwon sipped his shake through his straw, not breaking eye contact with the other.

“I’d like to see you try…”

“Hate to break up your dick measuring contest, but there’s no killing permitted in our restaurant,” Hongseok said as he set down their plates in front of them with a smirk before he nudged Hui to move over, sliding into the booth and putting an arm around the other’s shoulder. “I trust you’re taking good care of my Shinwonnie?”

“Oh, yes. Me and Hyunggu would never let anything happen to  _ our  _ Shinwonnie~” Hui retorted back, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip.

“Oh, it’s so terrible Hongseok. I beg you to let me move back in with you. They make me do  _ all  _ the work, I’m practically their slave at this point,” Shinwon whined. The pair in front of him turned to give him stunned looks and Shinwon just stared back blankly for a few moments before bursting into laughter. “You don’t have to worry about me Hongie, I trust these guys with my life.” 

“You’re the worst,” Hongseok snickered as he lightly punched the Shinwon on the shoulder from across the table. 

“Nah, you’re worse. You interrupted our date~” Shinwon pouted.

Hongseok looked between the pair in shock. “Oh. That’s what this is? Oh… my bad,” clearly flustered, his friend stood up, bowing his head in apology. “Well don’t let me get in your way! Enjoy,” and then he retreated back into the kitchen. 

Hui and Shinwon stared at each other for a moment in a stunned silence before bursting out laughing. “And I thought I was the most oblivious person ever,” Shinwon picked up the burger in front of him, biting into it. He immediately frowned in disgust, swapping their plates, while Hui only started laughing harder.

“I’m pretty sure you still are babe,” Hui said, picking up his burger and smiling as he bit into it. “Mmmmmm,” he did a little happy dance in his seat.

“You’re gross,” Shinwon laughed as he bit into his own burger. It was actually the correct one this time, and it was probably the best burger he’d ever had (and he’d had many a burger). 

“Maybe… but you love me anyways~”

-

It was early morning when the pair of them stumbled up the driveway. After dinner, they’d stopped at the bar for a couple of drinks. Apparently, despite being centuries old, Hui didn’t know his limits. He leaned heavily on Shinwon, holding his arm in a deathgrip and singing a song that was either completely unintelligible or in another (unrecognizable) language. It was still endearing to Shinwon. He snaked an arm around the other’s shoulder as he unlocked the door with his free hand, leading Hui inside. He was pretty tipsy himself, but he was significantly better off than the other. 

He didn’t see Hyunggu hanging about in any of his usual spots - he must’ve been at work. “Alright now, buster. Let’s get you to your room,” Shinwon said, lightly patting the other’s back. A giggly Hui gladly followed him, shuffling up the stairs. 

He opened Hui’s door and pulled the other in behind him, sitting him down on the bed. “Bedtime for you…”

“Did you have fun~ I had so much fun! We should go out more~” Hui said (although maybe shouted was more accurate). He seemed to have no end to his energy. 

“I did, I did. I’d love to go out more,” Shinwon said softly, with a smile. “But it’s late and I’m tired, so bedtime-“ he moved to get up but Hui’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. 

“Wait wait wait Wonnie!!! Don’t go yet!”

“Why, are you okay? Do you want me to get you anything?” The taller’s eyebrows shot up in concern.

“Can I have a kiss,” he wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol but he could have sworn that Hui’s eyes actually sparkled. He wanted to kiss him so badly, and the way the other pouted only made him want to more. 

“I don’t want our first kiss to be when you’re completely drunk, babe,” Shinwon said, shaking his head with a laugh.

“Drunk!? Is that the only thing? I can fix that!” Hui said, nodding his head eagerly. 

“I don’t know what you’re even talking about-“

“Yeah yeah! Watch this!” Hui said, his voice slurring slightly. Shinwon watched as he sat straight up, staring into the distance, seeming to be concentrating. After a moment he let out a loud burp, and then blinked, his eyes seeming to clear. 

“Gross,” Shinwon said, pushing him on the shoulder.

“Yeah, but I’m sober now! Kiss me!” Hui insisted. His voice wasn’t slurring anymore, and his expression seemed more clear but…

“Prove it.” 

“Gladly,” Hui said, gracefully leaping from his bed. Shinwon watched as he rooted around one of his drawers before pulling out a roll of masking tape and taping a strip along the floor. He then gestured at it and proceeded to walk along it, mimicking a tight-roper. He peeled the tape off the floor, walking back towards Shinwon and climbing onto his lap before he pressed a section of the tape onto the other’s forehead. “Is that good enough proof?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Shinwon said, shaking his head.

“How much does it take to-“ Hui began to protest, only to be cut off by Shinwon leaning in, kissing him softly. The other immediately relaxed into the kiss, humming in delight. His lips were so soft. Shinwon was sure his own were probably dry, but Hui’s? He didn’t think he’d ever kissed anyone with lips so soft. Hui snaked his arms around Shinwon’s shoulders, pulling them closer, and Shinwon took the opportunity to run his fingers through the other’s soft hair. It was surprisingly soft, considering the fact that he’d dyed it plenty. It was still the same orange it was when they first met, but he’d touched it up since then. It showed no hints of having ever been dyed. If Shinwon hadn’t seen him touching up his roots before, he might have even accepted that Hui’s natural hair color was bright orange. 

Hui pulled back for a moment only to begin peppering kisses across Shinwon’s cheeks and along his jaw. Shinwon moved his head to the side as the other pressed a few hesitant kisses along his neck. He couldn’t help but sigh softly, enjoying every bit of attention. His head spun when Hui decided to experimentally rock his hips against the other. It felt  _ good _ . He moved his hands down Hui’s back to rest at his waist, pulling him closer. The layers between them were getting frustrating. He wanted to feel more.

From the way that Hui gently pushed the other down, they were definitely on the same page. Shinwon stared up at him with big eyes, trying to catch his breath before he pulled Hui back down, kissing him again. The other busied himself by pulling at the buttons on Shinwon’s shirt, undoing them one by one until his shirt was opened. “You have pretty skin,” he said, his voice thick with lust. “Can I mark it? Not like any weird vampire stuff, just regular old fashioned hickeys-“

Shinwon didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded his head quickly instead. Hui grinned, pulling the shirt from the other’s shoulders before leaning down and placing kisses all along his collarbones and down his torso. Shinwon felt his face heat up as Hui delicately left kisses along his hips until they reached the waistband of his pants, before moving up again. He paused at Shinwon’s chest for a moment before he took one of his nipples in his mouth, tongue swirling lazily around it. 

Shinwon’s hips bucked against Hui’s and he felt the other laugh softly against him before slowly moving to the other nipple to give it the same treatment. Then he moved up again, kissing along Shinwon’s shoulders until he found a spot that seemed to satisfy him just above the collarbone. He bit down softly, sucking at the skin in a way that hurt a little but felt amazing. Shinwon cupped the other’s head with one hand while he moved his other hand up his shirt to feel his back. 

Hui wasn’t muscular - not in the same sense as Hongseok at least - but he was toned. He didn’t strike Shinwon as a huge fitness junkie but he could still feel the muscles along the other’s back. He wanted more. 

Hui pulled back to admire the mark he’d left on Shinwon’s shoulder, and then with a satisfied smirk, he moved to his other side. This time he chose a spot at the crook of his neck. 

“Mmmm, that’s my weak spot, Hui~” Shinwon managed, playing with the other’s hair with the hand that wasn’t currently up his shirt. Hui just hummed in acknowledgement as he continued to work. As he finally began to pull back, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss against the mark he’d left. 

Hui sat up, still straddling Shinwon, reaching to pull his own shirt off. He grinned down at him and Shinwon knew he’d never wanted to have somebody as badly as he wanted Hui at that moment. At the same time, he felt himself freezing up. 

“Are you okay, Wonnie?”

“I…” Shinwon paused, staring at the man before him. “Yeah… I’m fine. I just-“ 

“It’s okay if you’re not ready. We can take things as slow as you want,” Hui said, and although he wasn’t the one who could basically read minds, Shinwon was sure he had read his mind. 

“I’m sorry,” Shinwon apologized, his face heating up. “I shouldn’t have let us go as far as we did if I wasn’t ready-“

“Hey. You don’t need to apologize about that ever. Sometimes you don’t realize you’re not ready right away, okay? You can always tell people no, no matter how far you’ve gone.”

“I think I love you.” Shinwon whispered. 

“I think I love you too,” Hui said, smiling softly and leaning back down and kissing him softly. 

“Is it okay if I still sleep in here with you? I still wanna be close to you-“

“Of course,” Hui pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m gonna change into something more comfy though, and I’d imagine you don’t wanna sleep in jeans.”

“Truer words have never been spoken. I’ll be right back,” Shinwon said with a laugh, pulling his shirt back on but not bothering to button it up. He was just going to change out of it as soon as he got to his room anyways.

A few minutes later, he shuffled back into Hui’s room, now wearing a faded The Hollies tee and a pair of red track pants. The other had changed into a matching set of mint blue pyjamas and Shinwon couldn’t help but smile. He was cute. He didn’t miss how he’d also grabbed extra blankets and pillows.

“Make yourself comfy~” Hui hummed, moving over to make room for Shinwon. The other gladly obeyed, climbing under the blanket and pulling more over him, sinking down into the mattress with a content sigh. He listened as Hui clicked off the light and then pulled the blankets over him, before wrapping himself around Shinwon like a koala. “Good morning,” he said softly into Shinwon’s shoulder before falling asleep. 

“Good morning to you too,” Shinwon whispered back, wrapping an arm around Hui’s shoulder and rubbing small circles with his thumb. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update y’all!! I’ve been having bad writer’s block lately and even though I’ve had this chapter ready, I wanted to wait until I had more written to post it! A lot happens in this chapter and I hope y’all enjoy it :-)

Music played softly from Shinwon’s record player as he lay sprawled across his bed. He didn’t have to work and Hui had left earlier in the evening to go see Hyojong. Hyunggu was downstairs invested in a book and while normally, Shinwon might go and annoy the other, he was content to laze around listening to music for the moment. It was late and the moon was high in the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so he could see the stars dotting the darkness every time he looked outside. He had his window cracked slightly, letting the frigid winter air flow into his room. It had the clean and crisp feeling of that last cold day before it finally started to get warm again and Shinwon felt himself looking forward to spring. He wasn’t necessarily an outdoors person, but he always felt more energized as the snow started to melt away and trees began to show their leaves again. 

He heard his music stop, but he was more focused on the rubix cube in his hands, methodically moving it in an attempt to beat it. He had before, but since then, he hadn’t managed to beat it again. It wasn’t windy outside, but every so often he could have sworn he heard the rustle of leaves or the creaking of branches. He liked to think he was fearless, and he tried to tell himself that they lived in the woods - of course animals were probably moving around outside. Instead, Shinwon felt himself involuntarily tensing. He wasn’t sure what he was worried about. He’d been fine and comfortable up until his music had stopped. He set his rubix cube down on his bed with a sigh, getting up to flip the record to the next side. 

_Don’t look outside, Shinwon._

It wasn’t a voice, so much as an intrusive thought. He froze over the record player, staring at the record intently. It was on his window seat, and he willed himself not to look outside, feeling every ounce of himself fill with dread. 

_Just flip your record, close the window, and pretend nothing is happening. You’ll thank me later._

He did as instructed, although he wasn’t sure why he was listening to random thoughts that had popped into his head out of nowhere. However, instead of continuing to lay in his room, ignorant of whatever was happening outside, he exited his room, making his way downstairs to find Hyunggu. The other had since set the book he had been reading aside, now curled up, music blasting through his headphones as he sketched a picture. Shinwon would have normally felt bad for interrupting the other, but he couldn’t shake the dread that had come over him. 

“Hm?” Hyunggu pulled off his headphones and looked up at the other with big eyes when he noticed his presence. 

“Someone’s outside I think. I don’t know. I just had someone planting thoughts into my head like Inception or something,” he said, hoping that Hyunggu would have some sort of explanation. 

“Okay, I need you to slow down. Sit down,” Hyunggu was quick to move to make space for him and set his sketchbook down, his eyebrows knitted in concern. “What did they tell you?”

“Not to look outside. At first I thought it was just like? I dunno, a random urge or gut feeling, but then they said to flip my record, close my window, and pretend nothing was happening. Also that I’d thank them later. Who the hell was that? Vampires can’t do that can they?”

“The good news is that, no they cannot do that and that that means you’re being protected right now. The bad news is that that must mean Changgu is close. I would do what he told you to, and not look outside. It’ll be safer if you don’t.”

“You know who said that?”

“I can’t for sure, but I have an idea. That’s how shifters communicate when they’re in their animal forms. I’m gonna go outside and try to figure out what we’re dealing with,” Hyunggu stood up abruptly. Shinwon started to protest, but before he could say anything, the other was already gone. 

The next few moments, he waited on the couch in agonizing silence. Changgu was close. He wasn’t sure what the other guy’s deal was but if he was close that couldn’t be good news. Despite Hyunggu telling him that the message had been from someone trying to protect him, he was still unnerved. It was an uncomfortable sensation to have a message just appear in your mind. It wasn’t like how telepathic communication was portrayed in stories at all; he didn’t hear the person’s voice or tone, just their message. 

He was close to getting up and calling for the other or calling Hui when Hyunggu reappeared. “Well?” 

“There’s three shifters on our property, and a handful more in the surrounding woods. All werewolves. They’re tracking Changgu. Apparently they heard he was in the area and wanted to keep him from causing any damage. When they saw that he was headed this way, Hongseok dragged a couple out here to make sure you were safe.”

“Wait… Hongseok?”

“Yeah he’s gonna be pissy that I told you, but he’s who planted that lovely message in your head. I texted Hui and let him know what was happening. He said he’d be here soon and I have a feeling he might be dragging Yanan and Hyojong with him.”

“What is Changgu plotting that has everyone so worried?” Shinwon couldn’t hide the tinge of panic in his voice. He hadn’t shown up in a while, and Shinwon suspected it was partially due to Yanan’s potion and amulet. What if he’d somehow found a way around them…?

“Yanan is one of the most powerful witches I know. It would take a lot to get around his magic. As for his plans, I can’t know for certain. He’s done a very good job at shielding his mind from me. I can sense that he’s near, and I can vaguely feel his emotions if I reach out far enough, but I can’t do much more. Whatever he’s trying to do isn’t going to work. We won’t let it, okay?”

Both of them jumped when a knock came at the door. “It’s me, I just left my keys,” came Hui’s voice. Shinwon could practically hear the pout on it, but when he went to stand up, Hyunggu grabbed his arm, pulling him back down and shaking his head.

“I watched him grab his keys before he left. That’s not Hui.”

“Then who-“

“There’s nobody out there. It’s an illusion. When Yanan mentioned some vampires having other abilities, he really should have told you about Changgu and his illusion. He’s trying to lure you outside. He can make you hear and see things that aren’t really there. Yanan’s potion might keep you from being compelled by him, but he hasn’t found a recipe for resisting that bastard’s illusions yet.”

“Ah, it really must be a shame~” a voice whispered in Shinwon’s ear. He swore he could feel the breath on his neck, but he whirled around to see nobody there. 

“Changgu, leave Shinwon out of this,” Hyunggu stared at the door despite having told Shinwon nobody was there.

“I don’t think I want to. Poor little Hyunggu. You still think everything’s about you, hmm?” Changgu’s voice had moved, now seeming to take up the entire room. “It stopped being about you long ago.”

“Then why the hell are you still bothering us?”

“This isn’t 20 questions, darling. I don’t think I’m going to answer that one.”

Shinwon covered his ears, but he could still hear Changgu loud and clear. “Keep cowering like the livestock you are. See how far that’ll get you.”

“Stop it,” Hyunggu’s voice was tight and Shinwon could practically hear the rage dripping off of it. 

“Mmmm, I don’t want to. But seeing as I’m unwelcome here, I guess I will. Tell your dogs to stop trailing me or one of them might have to lose a head. I’ll be sure to time my next visit better,” the voice said, finally dissipating. 

Neither of them had time to breathe before the door swung open, Yanan and Hyojong walking in followed by Hui and a trio of wolves. Werewolves in theory were cool. It didn’t matter knowing that Hongseok was likely one of them and that they were there to keep Changgu at bay. Shinwon instinctively curled in on himself. 

“Are you okay? We got here as fast as we could,” Hui moved across the room in an instant, not even bothering to shut the door, pulling Shinwon close and hugging him tightly. 

“He left, I think…” Shinwon managed. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he spoke. 

“He’s gone,” Yanan said with no room for doubt. Everyone seemed to visibly relax at the other’s words. “I can’t cast a ward big enough to keep Changgu alone out of town, but I developed a spell that could let me know when he was within the boundaries. This isn’t the first time he’s come around to stir up trouble. It definitely won’t be the last,” he explained when Shinwon raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“If he’s gone for now, then does everyone really need to be here? It’s only making me more anxious if I’m being honest,” he felt like they were preparing for the worst case scenario, and although Changgu wasn’t in the area anymore, everyone crowding into the living room had him on edge. Two of the wolves were still lingering in the doorway - shapeshifter or not, Shinwon couldn’t shake his fear of dogs - but the third had wandered into the living room, pacing around. He was easily tall enough to reach Shinwon’s hips on all fours.

_I’m not gonna eat you, dumbass. Stop looking so terrified._

He didn’t have to hear the voice to know it was Hongseok. He shot a glare at the other, but relaxed a little.

“Well, I can’t speak for los tres amigos here,“ Hyojong gestured at the wolves, “But me and Yanan can still be useful. We’ve been working on better spells to counter Changgu, so we might be able to put some at least around the house.”

“That was why I was with them actually,” Hui spoke up, scratching the back of his neck, “it’s hard to create a spell that keeps only a specific person out of an area, so they had to use me to make sure it wouldn’t keep all vampires out. Otherwise, me and Hyunggu would have to move and I don’t think you’d want to live in this place by yourself.”

“We still haven’t made a powerful enough version to keep him out of this whole area, but it works for smaller areas. We tested it on the book shop,” Yanan added. He turned to Hui, “Is your house centered on the property or not? I need you to take me to the centermost point in order to cast the spell properly.”

“It’s not quite centered because of the greenhouse and garden. If I had to pick a spot, it would be…” he trailed off deep in thought, gesturing for Yanan to follow him as we wandered into the kitchen and out of sight. The rest of the group got up to follow, Hyojong and Hyunggu leading while Hongseok trailed next to Shinwon. He briefly thought about running a hand through the other’s fur. It looked soft.

_I’ll bite you if you pet me_.

“Wasn’t planning on it. I don’t like animals.” Shinwon simply said, but he could tell from the way that Hongseok huffed that he knew it was bullshit. “Are you gonna tell me who the other two are?”

_Why didn’t you ask, we could have told you ourselves._

Even though there wasn’t a voice accompanied with the thought, he was almost sure it’d come from the smallest of the trio. The wolf was still large enough to be as tall as him if he got up on his hind legs, but compared to the third wolf, he might as well have been a puppy. “Okay. Who are you?”

_Jinho._

_Wooseok. How’d your date go by the way?_

“Is now really the best time for this convers-“ Shinwon’s words dropped away as he looked over to see Yanan standing in the pantry. His eyes shone a vibrant pink and seemed to be glowing and Shinwon couldn’t help but stare at the other as he traced a symbol in the air with a finger, shimmering lines appearing to hover in his wake. The finished symbol was all straight lines seeming to point in random directions, but when Shinwon looked closer, he noted that they all seemed to connect between the same five points, forming a geometric web. Yanan’s lips moved soundlessly and the symbol in front of him seemed to glow brighter and brighter until he placed his hand against it and shoved it into the floor. Shinwon heard a sizzling sound and watched as the light seemed to fill the entire room before diminishing completely, leaving the symbol burnt into the wood floor. Immediately, he could feel the energy spreading out from it in powerful waves. It wasn’t like anything he’d felt before, but at the same time it pulled him back to earth without him realizing he’d been anywhere else to begin with. 

“The protection extends enough to cover the entire house, your garden and greenhouse, and your yard almost to the tree line, but I haven’t found a way to make it able to extend further without keeping other vampires at bay yet. Changgu could still come close, but this will keep him in the woods at least.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” Hui began.

“Don’t thank me.”

“I should. Changgu wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for me.”

Yanan said nothing in response to that, just staring at Hui sadly. Hyunggu knitted his eyebrows together, and for the first time, Shinwon could feel a tension building between the pair. “That’s not true and you know it.”

Hui shook his head, staring down at the floor, eyes focused on Yanan’s symbol. “I think it’s best everyone gets going. It’s late and soon it’ll be sunrise. Sorry for dragging you into this mess.”

“Changgu’s ruthless. No need to apologize for another person’s actions,” Hyojong said in a soft voice, patting Hui on the shoulder as he made his way to the door. Yanan followed without another word. The trio of wolves lingered in the room for a moment longer, staring at the group with inquisitive eyes before slowly sauntering out of the room and outside. Even with the others gone, Shinwon could still feel the tension ringing in the air. 

“What have you been holding back?” 

Hui opened his mouth to speak but Hyunggu cast him a look that could wither flowers. “This is my story to tell as much as it is yours. I should be the one to tell it since I’m the one who started this mess.” Hyunggu’s eyes were dark and Shinwon couldn’t quite discern the emotion in them. Was it pain? Betrayal? Bitterness?

Shinwon moved to take a seat at the table, and the other two slowly joined him. “I have all night.”

“When I said Hui turned me, it wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the whole truth either…”

-

_Hui and Changgu had been traveling companions for years. It had been nice to have someone else’s company - someone who understood the curse and blessing of immortality. They’d helped each other get out of plenty of situations whether it be matters of rival gangs or people going on witch hunts (which more often than not failed to capture actual witches). When they’d decided to set up a home for themselves in a new place as they’d done many times before, they hadn’t anticipated things going sour._

_It was a decently sized town, bustling with all sorts of folk; it was on a port which meant they got many travelers and also meant that the markets were filled with all sorts of foreign products and delicacies. Although they’d travelled abroad plenty of times and had seen their fair share of the world, it never grew tiring. The markets were also filled with many local merchants and artists, trying to make a living off of their wares._

_They couldn’t ever stay at the market for long; most of the vendors were gone by nightfall, returning home to their families as humans did. One night, as the duo had been strolling through the almost empty streets, Changgu had pointed to the market. It was mostly dark, but lights came from one of the booths and Hui noticed that there was a tent and a fire. Soft music drifted towards them and they watched as the boy absentmindedly stirred something in a pot, steam rising up from it._

_They looked at each other, sharing the same thought. Easy prey._

_Except Kang Hyunggu was anything but. The moment the two men had approached him, he’d had his guard up, but he pretended to be none the wiser as he continued to stir the stew he’d bartered for. He didn’t have enough money scrounged up for a place of his own yet, but the people of the town - whether they be local or travelers - had enough of an appreciation of art that he’d been able to trade paintings and sketches for the necessities he needed to survive. He was hopeful, but he wasn’t an idiot._

_The conversation the strangers made was innocent enough, asking him about his artwork and his life and why he was camped out in the market instead of inside. It was their eyes that betrayed them. They looked human enough, but Hyunggu could easily spot the hungry look in them, the way that both of them seemed to be sizing him up. If they were planning on compelling him and eating him for dinner, they were in for a sorry surprise._

_The taller one tried just that, suggesting that Hyunggu come with them. The other gripped the amulet he wore around his neck through his shirt. “I don’t think I will.”_

_If the shorter of the pair was surprised, he made no show of it, but the taller’s eyebrows had knitted together. “Smart one, hm? That’s too bad. Come on, Hui. Let’s go.”_

_“Wait,” Hui had said, holding up a hand and keeping the other from walking off. “What’s your name?”_

_“Call me Kino,” the boy had said, staring into Hui’s eyes._

_“I want him,” Changgu had insisted once they had walked away. Hui had laughed at that._

_“He knows what we are. What makes you so sure he’ll let you close enough to him that you’ll have a chance?”_

_“I’ll find a way. There’s something about him. I don’t know.”_

_There had been something in Changgu’s voice then, something that sounded completely different than the friend Hui had known all those years. It was a hunger that was foreign to him._

_Every night after that, they’d gone to the market. They’d talk to Hyunggu, and sometimes even buy his artwork. At first, the human had seemed irritated that the vampires continued to return. They were persistent. But as time passed, seeing them became a regular occurrence. Hyunggu couldn’t help but feel at a loss for what to do on the rare nights they didn’t show up. He knew he shouldn’t trust them, but he couldn’t help but take a liking to them. The more stubborn one clearly had a thing for him. He could see it from the way he looked at him; his gaze was still hungry but not in the same sense as it had been before. Hyunggu could tell when the one known as Changgu had stopped fantasizing about the taste of his blood and began thinking of the taste of his skin instead. He’d always been good at reading others and Changgu was like an open book._

_Hui on the other hand had been harder to read. It wasn’t that he was going out of his way to hide anything, he just tended to carry himself more cautiously. He didn’t seem disinterested, but he let Changgu carry most of the conversation. Hyunggu suspected that he did so just because he didn’t want to get in his friends way, but he kept meeting his eyes. There was something warm and comforting in Hui that no conversation with Changgu had ever had. Hyunggu would smile and play along with the taller of the two, but he could tell that whatever feelings were there were all physical. He debated even letting him have his way. He was attractive and muscular, and he’d bought enough of Hyunggu’s art that he was sure he’d be able to get a place of his own soon. He didn’t have to worry about bartering for food anymore. He felt like he owed it to him._

_But Hyunggu never had cared about how attractive someone was. Generous or not, he couldn’t bring himself to do something like that if his heart wasn’t in it. No matter how much Changgu had tried to chat him up, he still felt like a stranger to him._

_Hui on the other hand didn’t. He didn’t talk much, but when he did he always had the most sincere tone in his voice. He seemed to be genuinely curious about Hyunggu as a person, about his interests and his aspirations. He even asked him about the amulet, eyes sparkling with curiosity rather than irritation at the object that kept him from using his powers. Hyunggu had explained that he’d gotten it from a family friend who was superstitious, that he’d been told to be careful because witches weren’t the only danger that lurked out there. Hyunggu also explained that he’d known that long before he’d received the amulet. His best friend had been killed by a vampire, left for dead on the street with barely a drop of blood left in her body._

_Hui had frowned in disgust. “Even if one of us was starving, we wouldn’t need to feed to the point of murder. We drink blood to live but most of us aren’t monsters. Not like that anyways.”_

_Hyunggu had believed him when he said that. He could also tell that the other wanted to apologize for something that had happened long before they’d met. “It happened so long ago. There’s no point in fretting over it now. Just moving forward, yeah?”_

_“I suppose so,” Hui had replied._

_After that, they’d continued to grow closer. Hui didn’t miss the jealous glances he’d get from Changgu every time he managed to make Hyunggu laugh, or the way the other seemed to be desperately gripping for attention. It wasn’t working, but Hui wasn’t sure what he expected him to do about it._

_One night, as Hui and Changgu were about to be on their way, Hui had felt a hand slip into his pocket. When he turned around, Hyunggu had been sitting in front of his fire, humming absentmindedly. Hui waited until he and Changgu had split up to find something to feed on before he pulled his hand out of his pocket, reading a small scrap of paper with Hyunggu’s sprawling handwriting. It had a time and a place written on it and not much more. Hui felt his heart lurch in his chest and his face heat up. He hadn’t given it much thought, especially with Changgu’s persistence, but at the same time it felt right. Instead of looking for someone to drink from, Hui wandered the streets in a wide arch until he found the address on the note._

_Sure enough, Hyunggu had been there. “I trust you, Hui,” he’d said, his voice soft as he took off the amulet and placed it in the other’s hands. The look in the eyes was the only confirmation he needed before he closed the distance between them, fangs sinking into his neck._

_Hui wasn’t sure what to call the relationship that blossomed between them. Sometimes they’d meet and he’d simply feed on Hyunggu and then they’d lay together in the darkness, enjoying each other’s presence without breaking the silence. Other times they’d make love, and somehow Hui always felt more refreshed after those nights than the ones that he’d fed on._

_At first, if Changgu had noticed anything, he did a good job at hiding it, continuing to chat Hyunggu up as usual. Hyunggu would be polite with him, but never too nice. Although the other was persistent and showed no sign of stopping, he didn’t want to lead him on. He could tell that Hui was feeling guilty over the situation, but he assured him that things would work out somehow._

_They didn’t._

_Changgu had caught the scent of Hyunggu’s blood in the air one night. He’d just finished feeding on a random man, guiding him to sit on a bench in his dazed state until the venom had worn off. There was no mistaking it. He didn’t have to have fed from him before to be able to recognize it. It was so… Hyunggu._

_When he’d burst in to see Hui greedily drinking from the other, the rage had been clear in his eyes. Hyunggu had wanted to say something to warn Hui, but the venom had his mind too foggy to think. The only warning that Hui had was the sound of the door slamming against the wall. He had pulled back, ready to apologize or make some sort of excuse, but Changgu told him not to waste his breath. When he turned to face Hyunggu, he no longer saw the eyes of the man that had been not so subtly trying to win him over. Any sense of warmth he’d previously seen in Changgu’s golden eyes had vanished into darkness. The person staring back at him was a monster._

_He didn’t have the time to think, his mind still hazy. He couldn’t even yelp when he felt cool hands on his head. “If I can’t have you, then neither can he.” Then, there’d been a sickening crack. Hui had shouted something. Then there was nothing._

_The next time Hyunggu had opened his eyes, he felt like his organs were going to explode. Everything was too bright and too loud. His skin felt like it was on fire just from the fabric of his clothes brushing against it. It was too much, and he’d winced, groaning in pain. But then he felt a hand close around his. “It’s alright. I’ll help you through this.”_

_He was sure he’d died, yet he could feel his heart hammering in his chest._

_“Hui…”_

_“My venom was in your system. He… I’m sorry,” the other’s voice was broken. This wasn’t supposed to happen._

_Understanding seemed to set in and Hyunggu had sat up, opening his eyes and staring at Hui intently. “Don’t apologize.”_

_“You still have a choice. You’re just a fledgling right now. If you choose not to feed, you’ll die. It won’t be pretty, but you don’t have to be like us. You don’t have to be a monster.”_

_“You’re not a monster. I’m not going anywhere, Hui.”_

_That hadn’t been the end of it. While Changgu had left, leaving Hui to grieve over someone who neither of them thought would want to fully transition, Hyunggu took the change in stride. He hadn’t hesitated to feed, not wanting Hui to have to see him weak. He hadn’t wanted to be a vampire, but he didn’t think they were monsters either. He would find a way to adjust. He always did._

_They’d left town as soon as Hyunggu had been strong enough to, telling nobody they were leaving or of their destination. They weren’t even sure of their destination. Away. Away from what had happened and away from Changgu. The other might not have known that Hyunggu was alive, but once he found out, they both knew he’d be back._

_And he was._

_The first time they ran into him, nearly a decade had passed. He’d come to them with the hopes that they would put the past aside. The way he’d spoken was condescending. He skirted around an apology, continuing to go on about how they should be friends like the good old days. When it became clear that that tactic wasn’t working, he’d tried to pull Hyunggu away from Hui. Hyunggu was plenty strong and fought back with ease. Changgu had left, angrier than before._

_He would find them time and time again, continuing to try to pull Hyunggu away. It was as if the other was a prize that he needed to win. It was the singular thought that had seemed to consume his mind. But over time, his tactics had moved further away from Hyunggu and closer to what would push Hui’s buttons._

_-_

“I couldn’t tell you exactly when his motives changed. But he’s made it clear now that this is war. He doesn’t give a shit about me anymore. He just wants to break Hui.”

Hyunggu’s voice was cold as he stared at the table. Shinwon wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Nobody said anything, and the silence became unbearable. 

“Is he going to kill me?”

“We’re not going to let that happen. I’m not going to let that happen,” Hui spoke, his voice quiet. 

“I didn’t realize how far back you went. Why settle here then? If he keeps on finding you?”

“I was tired of running. If he kept on showing up anyways, why would we keep running. I figured we could find somewhere, stay there and hopefully find allies. At least I was right about that. I didn’t plan…” Hui trailed off. Shinwon didn’t have to read minds to know what the rest of the sentence would be. _I didn’t plan to fall for a human. Again._

The sun was beginning to stream through the window and Shinwon was painfully aware of how tired he was. He stood up, ready to leave the room but he paused in front of Hui. “I trust you too, okay?” He bent down to kiss the top of the other’s head. Then he reached out and gripped onto Hyunggu’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “I’m going to bed. You guys can come if you want. I don’t care.” He made his way to the stairs. He needed time to think. Time to process everything. 

Changgu was after Shinwon because in his eyes, it was some sick form of revenge. To kill Shinwon would mean to break Hui completely. He hadn’t succeeded with Hyunggu, so he’d make no errors this time around. He was crazy, but that wasn’t the part that scared Shinwon. Beneath it all, Shinwon could feel the resolve and the cold-blooded determination. He might have been crazy but his thoughts were clear. 

As he slipped into bed, he saw Hyunggu and Hui appear in his doorway. Soundlessly, they climbed in on either side of him, wrapping him tightly in their arms. It was in their embrace that he finally began to cry. None of them said anything, just holding him tightly as he felt the tears stream down his face. For the first time, he was afraid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also! I made a playlist for this fic! It’s got lots of classic rock but a variety of other things too!! It’s kinda inspired by Shinwon’s tastes in the fic (but also my tastes too hehe)! Here’s the link if anyone wants it :) 
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/22hinmledkvxac7usfoqh7z6a/playlist/0L28ZJFgnGuJXp1UYfa1MT?si=b1a7gpPETOqsHpBoGuUmOg


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW warning for the second half of the chapter!!!

Shinwon leaned against the counter. His shift had only started an hour ago but he was already bored. The record store didn’t get many customers to begin with during the day, and overnight it was practically a graveyard. When he’d shown up, Wooseok had sighed with relief and he could see the exhaustion in his eyes. They had shared a look of mutual understanding; it had been a long night. When Shinwon had woken up, he was still wrapped up in a tangle of Hui and Hyunggu’s arms. It was comforting, but then he remembered the events of the previous night. Sleeping had helped him some, but he couldn’t shake the dull feeling of unease at the back of his mind. It continued to linger even as he walked into work.

Yuto was late. The other wasn’t particularly talkative but it was nice to have him there so that he had somebody to ramble to. Shinwon felt the exhaustion tugging at him without the distraction of a friend. He perked up when he heard the bell ring as the door to the shop opened. Instead of Yuto, he was met with a very different figure. He froze from his spot behind the counter, watching the man in question wander into the shop. 

He hadn’t drank the potion the previous night. So much had happened that it had completely slipped his mind although it should have been one of his priorities. He gripped the amulet under his shirt, watching the person’s every movement. “Hi, welcome to The Vinyl Countdown. Let me know if you need help finding anything,” Shinwon spoke, putting on his best customer service smile. He could hear the tension in his voice as the words left his lips. 

The man in question turned to look at him, flashing him a devilish grin. “I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t think I’ve formally made your acquaintance yet. I’m Changgu,” he moved over to the counter, extending a hand over it. Shinwon stared at it for a moment in terror before taking and shaking it. 

“Shinwon,” he mumbled. 

“Nice shop you have here. Manager around? I’ve been meaning to have a chat with him. It seems we got off on the wrong foot.”

“Jinho’s not here. You shouldn’t be here either, Changgu.” 

Shinwon whirled around to see Yuto standing in the doorway of the break room, his expression cold. He moved so he was standing between the pair, and Shinwon suddenly felt small.

“Oh dear, isn’t that just a shame. Well, I’ll stop distracting you from your work. Nice seeing you, Shinwon!” He called as he made his way to the exit. Shinwon didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until he heard the door slam shut. 

“Are you okay? What was that about?” Yuto asked, whirling to face Shinwon. The other didn’t realize how pale he’d gotten or that his hands were shaking. He moved to take a seat, burying his head in his hands.

“Not really. I’m glad you got here when you did. I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone,” Shinwon struggled to keep his voice even. 

“Bastard,” Yuto muttered under his breath, his frown deep set. “When will he move on and leave everyone alone. If someone else doesn’t kill him first, I will.”

Shinwon was taken aback. Yuto was generally quiet. The edge that filled his voice was unnerving at best and downright terrifying at worst. He’d never seen the other look so much as angry, only mildly disinterested in his surroundings. It was as if Changgu walking into the shop was the final straw. 

Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Hey. It’s okay. He didn’t do anything. I’m alright. You’re terrifying when you’re angry…”

He watched a change come across Yuto’s features and the other went back to his normal, expressionless face. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you…”

“I’m fine now. I’m gonna run down to Adagio and get a drink now that you’re here. Do you want me to grab you something?”

“Hmmm. I’ll take a Red Mocha,” he said after a moment of consideration.

“Okie dokie, I’ll be right back.” Shinwon quickly made his way down the stairs, taking comfort in the cool air on his skin. It was tense. It didn’t matter how sick Changgu was, part of Shinwon was caught blaming himself for everyone else’s problems. When he entered Adagio, he felt multiple pairs of eyes on him. Yanan stood behind the counter, holding the edge in a death grip while a distraught Hui and Hyunggu stood on the other side. Hongseok sat on one of the tables, his face grim.

“Thank the gods you’re okay,” Yanan whispered, and Shinwon didn’t have time to say anything in response before Hui and Hyunggu rushed to his side. Hongseok kept his distance.

“Guys, guys. I’m fine. Yuto was there with me. I’m still on the clock though. I was just popping down to get us drinks.” Shinwon didn’t want to push them away, but he felt like he was suffocating. He didn’t like seeing so many people fretting over him.

“I didn’t think he’d come back to town so soon,” Hui said vacantly. From the look in his eyes, Shinwon could tell that he’d feared the worst. 

“Hey. I’m here okay?” Shinwon cupped Hui’s face in his hands, staring at him with determination. Although everyone had come to make sure he was okay, he felt like they were considerably more shaken than him. Then again, despite knowing some of their past, Shinwon couldn’t even begin to imagine what Changgu had put everyone through. He had the feeling that Hyunggu and Hui hadn’t been the only ones he’d been set on harassing. 

“Sorry. I think everyone’s still on edge after last night,” Hyunggu’s voice came, and Shinwon turned to face him. “I know you feel hopeless and irritated at the same time. I’ve got your back, okay?” 

“Okay.” Shinwon replied, leaning down and softly kissing Kino’s forehead. The gesture was small but it seemed to have the intended effect of comforting the other. Then he turned to Yanan. “I don’t care what you make me as long as it’ll keep me awake and tastes good. Yuto wants a Red Mocha.” 

Yanan nodded, about to type the order into the register before shaking his head. “It’s on the house tonight,” he said with a soft laugh. It was clear he was still a bit shaken. He was probably who’d sensed Changgu’s presence and called everyone over in the first place, but he seemed to welcome the distraction as he set to work on the drinks. 

It was with the whirring of the espresso machine that Shinwon finally turned to face Hongseok. “You could have told me.”

The other said nothing, continuing to stare at his own hands. 

“We’re best friends, man. You know me better than anyone here. I don’t care and you know I wouldn’t have if you’d said something. Why did you hold back?”

“I was afraid,” he finally said. Shinwon had never heard him speak in such a dejected tone. Not even when he’d had a bad break up their first year of college. The guilt on his face was clear.

Again with the fear. “Why?”

“It wasn’t you. I promise. I know you wouldn’t even hurt a fly. But I was afraid anyways. It was easier to pretend.”

“But now you’re being eaten away by guilt. I don’t have to be magical to see that, Hongseok.”

Yanan was steaming milk now, but other than the sound of the machinery, the store was silent. It felt like everyone else was holding their breath. 

“You’re still my best friend. You might be an ass and kind of an idiot, but I’d never hate you, so stop looking like the world just came crashing down,” Shinwon spoke, breaking the silence. Hongseok met his eyes and silently nodded, but it wasn’t enough. “Cut it out with the feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve got bigger things to worry about anyways. Besides, you’re part of the reason I’m in one piece still.”

Hongseok stared at Shinwon silently, and he was beginning to think he’d never get through to the other, but then he hopped down from the table he’d been sitting on, making his way overto him. He pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Good?”

“Good.”

When Shinwon pulled back, Hongseok seemed visibly relaxed. “I owe you, man.” This earned a small smile. At the sound of the milk steamer turning off, Shinwon turned to the counter, grabbing the drinks from the counter. 

“The black cup is yours, the red one with stripes is Yuto’s… don’t mix them up,” Yanan laughed.

“I feel like I should still check the cups anyways after  _ someone  _ decided to give me Hui’s sandwich last week-“ Shinwon said, earning laughs from Hongseok and Hui. 

“Oh, I’m not that cruel. Tell me how you like your coffee though, I’ve been working on something new.”

“Something new?” He raised his eyebrow lifting his cup to his lips and taking a sip. At first, it tasted like a generic mocha, but then he tasted the hint of spices and charcoal stirred in along with something else that he couldn’t quite place. He felt an immediate burst of energy but he didn’t feel shaky like caffeine sometimes made him. “Woah. What is this?”

“I’ve been working on a coffee-potion that gives you energy without you crashing or feeling shaky. It’ll also still be easy for you to sleep even if you feel awake throughout the day, although you have my other potion too which basically knocks you out. Speaking of, have you been drinking it regularly?”

“Well…”

“Shinwon, it’s important that you do so. I don’t have a way to protect you from Changgu’s illusions, but I can at least keep him from using his powers on you.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t take it last night because everything was already hectic as it was, so when he came in the shop earlier I thought for sure that was the end. I dunno what I would have done if Yuto wasn’t there.”

“Just promise me you’ll keep drinking it. Set an alarm if you have to.” 

“Yessir!” Shinwon said, holding his arm up in a mock salute before backing out of the shop with both drinks in his hands. 

“Text one of us when you’re on your way home, or see if you can walk with somebody okay?” Hui spoke.

“Okay,” Shinwon nodded his head as the door swung shut. 

He made his way up the stairs quickly, pushing open the shop door with his hip. “I’m back~” He called out to Yuto before setting the drinks on the counter and sighing. He didn’t think he was ever getting out of that coffee shop. He loved everyone- he really did- but they had all been so overbearing, especially with Changgu acting up. He was thankful for Yanan’s magic coffee because he would need it to get through everyone constantly worrying about him. 

Yuto appeared from around the corner, seeming to have cooled down in the time he was gone. “Free at last? I thought they were holding you captive down there.” A small smile spread across his lips as he reached for his cup, taking a sip from it. 

“It almost felt like it, but I don’t know if I blame them. Changgu must’ve screwed a lot of people over, hm?” He leaned against the counter, sipping from his own up and savoring the electric feeling that flowed through him.

“Oh, you have no idea. He’s who turned me,” Yuto said simply. 

Shinwon stared at him with raised eyebrows, but the other didn’t offer any elaboration. He wasn’t going to question how or why because he didn’t want to pry. It wasn’t exactly his business, so all Shinwon offered was a quiet ‘Oh’. It didn’t take a genius to guess that whatever the circumstances, they probably hadn’t been pretty. 

-

The rest of the week passed without further incident and Shinwon felt his friends beginning to relax again. He was thankful; he didn’t like seeing everyone so tense and upset. Even though it was January, it was finally starting to warm up. The icicles that framed Shinwon’s windows slowly began to melt away in the harsh sunlight and the snow that blanketed the ground began to turn into mush. It was gross but it meant that hopefully spring would be coming soon. 

With the change in the weather, Shinwon could see Hyunggu’s excitement growing. His favorite season was spring and he didn’t hesitate to ramble about how excited he was for the flowers to bloom and all of the creatures to crawl out from their hiding spots. While Shinwon didn’t know anything about gardening, he could sit there for hours and listen to the other explain every little detail to him. He was sure that Hyunggu’s eyes actually sparkled.

Hui didn’t share the same excitement about the prospect of spring. He complained about the melting snow making the ground mushy outside and whined at the idea of bugs returning. Shinwon teased him about his discomfort for bugs but at the same time, he would probably scream if he found a spider in his room.

Shinwon was curled up on his windowsill, sipping coffee from a mug that had Hello Kitty on it. He finally had a day off and he was content to laze around the house and enjoy his free time. The past few shifts he’d worked had been weird. It hadn’t taken him long at all to adjust to the fact that his manager and one of his coworkers were werewolves or the fact that his other coworker was a vampire, but other than Yuto, everyone else seemed to be avoiding any discussion of the topic. Wooseok was pleasant enough, but kept to small talk, while Jinho barely even said anything to Shinwon other than giving him a nod every now and then.

When Shinwon had asked Hongseok about it, he’d simply shrugged. “I was afraid because I’d already known you so long. I think they’re afraid because they haven’t known you long enough. They probably just can’t gauge how you feel about it.”

Hongseok’s answer made enough sense and did some to ease Shinwon’s nerves, but he was impatient. He just wanted everything to go back to normal, and by normal he meant everyone acting chill around each other instead of tiptoeing and pretending that nothing happened. It was exhausting. 

Shinwon was shaken out of his thoughts by his door creaking open. He looked up to see Hyunggu tentatively poking his head into the room. “What’s up?”

“Are you doing anything today?”

“Nah. It’s my day off so I’m just relaxing.”

“Remember how you said you wanted me to draw you like one of my French girls?”

A sly grin worked its way across Shinwon’s features. “Of course!”

“Wanna come sit still for a little while so I can work my magic?” 

“Never thought you’d ask,” Shinwon grinned, setting his mug down and following Hyunggu into his room. 

The curtains were open so that sunlight streamed into the room, bathing everything in a soft and pale glow. There was a chair that Shinwon was positive hadn’t been in the room that was a deep red, and it was draped with fine looking blankets and covered in an assortment of pillows. 

“Alright, go ahead and get yourself situated and comfy! Let me know when you’re ready. I’ve gotten pretty quick at drawing over the years so it shouldn’t take me an excruciatingly long amount of time~” Hyunggu said, moving to grab various drawing instruments from a drawer.

“Should I strip then?”

“I was thinking so, since you referenced Titanic, but you don’t have to if you’re not comfortable-“

“Nah, it’s fine. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page before I tossed my naked body on your fancy chair~” Shinwon said with a smirk, pulling his shirt over his head. The air was cool on his skin, but not enough to make him uncomfortable. It was refreshing. He kept on his necklace but other than that he folded his clothes as he took them off, setting them in a neat pile on the corner of Hyunggu’s bed before walking over to the chair, trying to decide how he wanted to pose. The key was being comfortable enough to sit still for a decent amount of time while still looking cool. He tried to push any embarrassment he might have had about being naked to the back of his mind. Hyunggu was an artist. He was drawing him. It didn’t need to be weird. 

He slid onto the seat, resting on his side with his head propped up by his hand and a couple of pillows, resting his hand softly beneath his chin. “I don’t know if this pose looks stupid or not, but I’m comfy!” 

“Hold on I’ll adjust you. Is it fine if I touch you?” 

Shinwon nodded and Hyunggu walked over, moving one of Shinwon’s knees so it stuck out just a little bit more than the other and grabbing his free hand and guiding it to rest at his hip. 

“Are you still comfy?”

“Yup!”

“Perfect. Don’t move,” Hyunggu said, clapping his hands together and moving to his easel. Shinwon watched as the other picked up a pencil and set to work. At first, he was hyper aware of Hyunggu’s eyes analyzing every detail of him. He couldn’t help but feel self conscious. After a few minutes though, he quickly found himself growing used to it. If anything, it was comforting to listen to the movements of his pencil, the occasional humming to himself. Every so often, he would meet Shinwon’s eyes and give him a soft smile. 

He set the pencil he’d been using down and opted for a tin full of colored pencils, his eyebrows knitting together as he focused on getting the shading and colors just right. His focused expression was cute and Shinwon had to force himself to keep a neutral expression. On the inside, he was smiling like an idiot. 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed or when the methodical movements of Hyunggu’s pencil strokes faded away, but Shinwon was suddenly aware that Hyunggu was no longer drawing. He just stared at him with a wistful expression on his face. “What? Are you already done?”

“I’ve been done. I’m just admiring the art.” 

Shinwon felt his face heat up, but said nothing, instead wandering over to look at the finished result. He balked at the drawing that he saw. It was gorgeous. There was no way that was actually what he looked like, right? Was that how Hyunggu saw him? Every detail was drawn carefully down to the way that the light streamed through the window and rested along his side. 

“Wow. That’s amazing. You’re amazing. I could kiss you.”

“What’s stopping you?” Hyunggu raised an eyebrow at Shinwon. 

“Good point,” he murmured as he leaned in, planting a soft kiss on Hyunggu’s lips. He pulled back just as quickly, his face heating up with embarrassment. “I should probably uh… get dressed and go now,” he began to say, his ears turning pink. Before he could back away, Hyunggu’s hand was around his wrist. 

“Or, you could stay as you are. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Hyunggu stared at him with a certainty that left no room for negotiation. His words only made Shinwon more flustered, but he didn’t make any move to leave, instead standing there dumbly and waiting to see what Hyunggu had planned. He had some ideas of his own, and he tried his best to keep them pushed to the back of his mind where the other hopefully wouldn’t find them. “You’re thinking so loud I can hear you. Stop standing there so tensely and go make yourself comfortable,” he commanded. 

Shinwon quickly nodded, moving to take a seat on the edge of the seat he’d been previously lounging on. Hyunggu suppressed a laugh. “You’re overthinking everything too much. Just quiet down your brain before you give yourself a headache okay?” The other moved over to him, practically devouring him with his eyes. 

“Okay. Okay, you’re right.”

“I’m not gonna do anything unless you say I can, alright?”

“I know. I trust you.”

“I know you do. Is it alright if I kiss you more?” 

“Please,” Shinwon managed. Hyunggu grinned, moving so that he was straddling Shinwon’s lap, kissing him deeply. He was a really good kisser and it took him a minimal amount of effort to send Shinwon’s mind running. He kissed him back, deepening it and pulling the other closer. 

“Holy shit, why haven’t we kissed more?” Shinwon asked, breathless as he pulled back. 

“I dunno,” Hyunggu said with a shrug. “Guess we gotta make up for all the lost time, hm?”

“Yeah, we do,” Shinwon pulled Hyunggu back in for another kiss. His lips were incredibly soft and Shinwon was impressed with how much that alone was doing to him. Hyunggu pulled him closer, one hand cupping the back of his neck while the other one slowly moved up and down his torso. Shinwon bit back a gasp when he felt the other’s thumb begin moving in a slow and lazy circle around one of his nipples. 

“Is that okay?”

“Don’t stop, by any means,” Shinwon said as he pulled Hyunggu back in, kissing him greedily. The other laughed into the kiss, moving his other hand down to tease his other nipple. Shinwon fought the urge to grind against him. He was already hard and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself if he started moving now. He started to protest when Hyunggu pulled back, but then the other pulled off his shirt, tossing it on the ground behind him. 

“That’s better,” he whispered, leaning back in and planting kisses all over Shinwon’s face. He kept going back to his jaw, leaving so many kisses along it that Shinwon’s head spun. The feeling of Hyunggu’s soft lips all over his face was intoxicating as it was, but then he began kissing his neck, every so often greedily licking at his skin. All the while, his hands continued to slowly move across his chest. 

When Hyunggu pulled back a second time he stood up, pulling Shinwon along with him and leading him to his bed, lightly pushing him until he fell back onto the soft sheets. Shinwon watched as Hyunggu stripped off the rest of his clothes, his eyes unable to peel themselves away from him. He was gorgeous. His skin was soft and smooth and the other seemed completely unembarrassed under his gaze. Hyunggu gently pushed him onto his back, climbing on top of him before continuing to plant more kisses on him. His lips were soft against his skin and Shinwon’s mind went into overdrive as he began to leave a trail of kisses down his body. He stopped at his hips, pausing to look up at him.

“Do you want me to?”

“Please,” Shinwon barely whispered. 

Suddenly, Hyunggu’s mouth was around him, warm and soft. Shinwon let out a gasp, a hand tangling in the other’s hair as he began moving slowly. The feeling of his lips and tongue on him were enough to make his mind go empty. He bucked his hips and when he felt Hyunggu gasp around him everything spun. He felt the other grip his hips, pinning him down with a surprising amount of force while he continued to move his mouth. If anything, the way he was being held down only turned him on more and at this rate he wasn’t sure how much longer he would last. Hyunggu moved his tongue in dizzyingly slow circles, but then pulled back just before Shinwon could slip over the edge. 

He stared down at Shinwon, his eyes darker than he’d ever seen before. “How do you wanna do this?” 

“You can do whatever you want. I trust you.”

“I thought that’d be the answer,” Hyunggu replied with a smirk, leaning to reach into the drawer of his bedside table. Shinwon leaned back, closing his eyes and sighing, listening as he heard the sound of a cap clicking open. He’d thought he was ready, but he let out a hiss when Hyunggu slowly slipped a slender finger inside of him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep going,” he said, although his words barely came out in a whisper. The mild discomfort didn’t last long as Hyunggu worked to loosen him up. Even with just his fingers, he knew exactly how to unravel Shinwon. He barely processed it when Hyunggu added another finger, and then another until he pulled them out. 

Shinwon held his breath, hyper aware of the sound of the other tearing open a wrapper. Hyunggu leaned down, planting a soft kiss on his lips and then he was slowly pushing inside him. Even though he’d prepped him plenty, Shinwon still let out a hiss as he adjusted to the feeling. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Can’t you vibe check me though?”

“Yeah, but I still like to make sure,” Hyunggu replied softly, staring down at Shinwon innocently. His eyes were still dark but his smile was so sweet that it could give him a cavity. 

“I’m doing great. Are you gonna fuck me or are you just gonna stare at me all night?”

“Hmm..” The other paused, making a show of pretending to debate it. Instead of finishing his sentence, he began to move slowly. Shinwon gripped onto his shoulders, pulling him closer and letting his legs wrap around his back. It didn’t take long for Hyunggu to find his prostate, and he couldn’t stop himself from moaning, savoring the feeling that shot through his entire body. Hyunggu leaned down, planting kisses all over his neck as he continued moving. “Can I try something?” He asked, his lips moving softly against Shinwon’s neck as he spoke.

“Define something.”

This time, Hyunggu pulled back so that he was looking down at Shinwon. “Something,” he said, grinning at him. Shinwon stared in awe as he saw Hyunggu’s eyes darken even more, fangs slowly sliding out from their hiding spots. “You remember what I said about our venom, right?”

“If I’m being honest, I never stopped thinking about that. I trust you.” Shinwon said. 

“I know you trust me. You might not be able to voice much once the venom is in your system though, so if you want me to stop, think loudly enough that I can hear you, okay?” 

“You’ve got it.” 

Hyunggu smiled at him softly before leaning down. He kissed his neck a few times before Shinwon felt a sharp feeling near his collarbone. It didn’t sting so much as burn slightly, but the burning sensation quickly faded away into pleasure. At first, Shinwon was hyper aware of every sensation. Hell, he was almost positive he could feel every little bit of blood that left his body. The feeling of Hyunngu’s mouth on his neck combined with the fact that he’d slowly begun moving again was so much that it was overwhelming, but then he felt everything become hazy. Their surroundings seemed to melt away around them until all that he was aware of was the two of them, but even that didn’t last very long.

Hyunggu was all there was. Shinwon could still see his surroundings and feel everything, but it was like his mind refused to let him process anything that wasn’t the man who was greedily drinking from him. It made him feel everything more but at the same time, he felt like he was floating in space. Hyunggu kept moving, hitting his prostate with every thrust and if it weren’t for the venom in his system, Shinwon was sure he would have come already. He was barely balancing on the edge. It was as if everything inside him was waiting for an ‘okay’. 

At some point, Hyunggu was no longer drinking from Shinwon’s neck, licking the blood from the punctures and planting soft kisses in the spot his fangs had been. Every touch of his lips against his skin felt like a surge of energy rushing through his body. He was almost positive he could feel the venom making its way through his veins now. He knew it was more or less an aphrodisiac, but there had to be more to it than that. He pulled Hyunggu to him, kissing him deeply. He could taste the tang of blood on the other’s lips -  _ his own blood  _ \- but he didn’t care. If anything, it was intoxicating. His mind was focused on Hyunggu and only Hyunggu. He felt great, but he wanted the other to feel even better. 

Hyunggu leaned into the kiss, picking up the pace. Shinwon was only vaguely aware of the feeling of him inside him. It was as if the venom had made his entire body just as sensitive, leaving him completely powerless under the other’s touch. That fact didn’t bother him in the slightest. Normally, he might have feared such a lack of control, but with Hyunggu he was ready to let the other have complete power. He was Hyunggu’s. 

He could feel the heat continuing to build in him, and from the way Hyunggu’s movements grew more frantic, he could tell the other was close too. He stared up at the other with wide eyes, reaching up and slowly touching his face before running his fingers through his hair. Even the feeling of his skin beneath his fingertips sent waves of pleasure through his body. That gentle touch was all it took to unravel Hyunggu completely. He buried his head in Shinwon’s neck as he came with a gasp. It must have been the ‘okay’ Shinwon was waiting for because he felt the pleasure inside him reach its peak, and he clung to the other as he came. 

For a moment, the two of them just laid there catching their breaths. Then, Hyunggu leaned down, cupping Shinwon’s face in his hands and planting a soft and sweet kiss on his lips. “Did I do a good job?”

Shinwon opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t find the words. He suspected it was the venom in his system. Instead, he nodded. 

He was vaguely aware of the feeling of Hyunggu pulling out of him and getting up. He whined at the loss of contact, watching as the other got up and wandered away, but then he returned with a towel, gently wiping off Shinwon’s torso. “Come on,” he said softly, gesturing for him to get up. “I’m gonna give you a bath, okay?” 

Shinwon followed him into the bathroom obediently. He wouldn’t have had a problem obeying anyways, but it was as if his body moved on its own. He gave Hyunggu a questioning gaze. 

“Ah, sorry,” he laughed softly, scratching the back of his neck, “It’s another temporary effect of the venom. You kinda can only do what I will you to do, but it shouldn’t last too long. Normally it only lasts about an hour…” Hyunggu trailed off. 

Shinwon shrugged. If Hyunggu was controlling him for an hour, it couldn’t be too bad, right? He let the other guide him into the bathtub, stepping in behind him. The feeling of the warm water rising around him and the scents of soaps and oils Hyunggu had were soothing. The other began slowly lathering soap up his body, massaging his back and shoulders at the same time and Shinwon felt himself relaxing into his touch. He felt tired now, but not exhausted. More of a comfortable tired. Sleepy. He let the other adjust him so that he could lather soap up his torso now. Hyunggu’s touch was gentle and he was careful when he got near the punctures on his neck. The skin was tender there still. 

When Hyunggu reached down and took one of his hands in his own, gently massaging it, Shinwon let out a contented hum. If having sex with Hyunggu meant being completely pampered afterward, he should have made a move long ago. The other laughed, shaking his head softly and Shinwon felt himself heat up in embarrassment. 

“You’re really something else, Shinwon.” He took his other hand, giving it the same treatment as the other. 

He was vaguely aware of the sound of a knock on the door and of Hui’s soft voice, but anything he said was lost in the air. Hyunggu chatted with the other, but Shinwon’s mind was too hazy for him to focus on anything. He closed his eyes, letting everything fade away until all he noticed was the feeling of Hyunggu’s soft hand, methodically working their way up his arm now and continuing to move in relaxing motions. He felt a hand gently ruffle his hair and heard the door softly shut, and then he just heard the sounds of the water moving and Hyunggu quietly humming to himself. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new character is introduced in this chapter >:3

When Shinwon woke up, it was to the scent of bacon drifting up from the kitchen. He sat up, pushing his hair out of his face and inhaling deeply. He was in Hyunggu’s bed, but he didn’t remember falling asleep in the first place. He shrugged to no one in particular, yawning and stretching before climbing out of bed and shuffling into his room to put on something warm. From the angle the light streamed through the windows, he guessed it was about midday. Once he was snug in a hoodie and a pair of sweats, he headed downstairs. He wanted that bacon. 

Hyunggu stood at the stove, humming to himself as he flipped over the bacon that sizzled on the pan and Hui was singing loudly as he filled three mugs with coffee. “Good morning, sleeping beauty,” he called in a singsong voice as he set the coffee pot down, walking over to Shinwon and placing a mug of coffee in front of him. 

“Hey,” Shinwon blinked as he took the mug in front of him. He surprisingly didn’t feel tired at all, despite having just woken up. He drank the coffee anyways. 

Hyunggu piled the bacon onto a plate, bringing it over to set it on the table before returning to the stove and cracking a couple of eggs on a pan. They started sizzling and popping as soon as they hit the pan, but Hyunggu seemed to be in his own little bubble as he continued to hum to himself. 

“So,” Hui began, sliding into the chair across from Shinwon with his own mug, “we need to have a conversation.”

Shinwon choked on his coffee, staring at Hui with a raised eyebrow.

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not about that. You’re not in trouble, don’t worry,” Hui laughed at Shinwon’s reaction. “But Hyunggu?” He gestured towards the other, who was now dancing with the spatula and singing the song from Ratatouille. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him so… energetic? He’s acting like he downed five Monsters in a row, but he was like that when he woke up.”

“...And?” Shinwon knit his eyebrows together, not quite following the conversation or what it had to do with him.

“Wanna know what I think? I think it’s from you. Your blood I mean.”

It was Shinwon’s turn to laugh. “I’ve seen you guys drink blood a billion times but I’ve never seen that happen. What would make my blood so different?”

“I haven’t encountered it before because it’s super rare, but I’ve heard stories of some people having certain properties to their blood. I think you’re one of those rare cases.”

“Interesting…”

“But, I was thinking we could go see Hyojong later to find out more about it - only if you’re comfortable with it - because he knows a lot about that type of thing.”

“Sure. I don’t see any harm in that… that’s kinda cool I guess,” Shinwon took a sip of his coffee. 

“That’s one way to put it,” Hui said with a laugh, scrunching his eyes. 

Hyunggu bounded over with a plate with over easy eggs and toast, setting it in front of Shinwon. “What kinda jelly do you prefer? We got all sorts of stuff.” 

“Hmmm… blueberry?” 

“Okie dokie!” Hyunggu disappeared back into the kitchen for a moment before returning with a small dish filled with blueberry preserves and a knife. “Eat up!” 

“Thank you for the meal,” Shinwon said with a grin before grabbing a piece of bacon and dipping it into the yolk of the egg until it ran all over the rest of the egg. He swirled the bacon around a couple of times before he took a bite of it and then he noticed Hui and Hyunggu staring at him with wide eyes. “What?”

“You’re cute, you know?”

“I know,” Shinwon grinned, winking at the pair before him. 

“Well, I’ve gotta go to work so I’ll see you both later,” Hyunggu said, finishing his cup of coffee - coffee that Shinwon wasn’t sure the other needed in the first place - before leaning down and giving Hui a quick peck on the lips and then giving Shinwon a kiss on the cheek. 

“Have fun~” Hui called out, waving as the other left.

“I always do~”

-

“You need to be more careful next time,” Hyojong was saying as Hui and Shinwon walked into his shop. The other was in the side room, standing behind a man Shinwon hadn’t seen before and rubbing an ointment on his back. 

“Hiya!” The stranger said, staring at the pair with curiosity, seemingly unphased by the fact that he was half naked. He winced when Hyojong pressed harder into his back. 

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Hui apologized, but Hyojong just shrugged.

“No need to apologize, although I wasn’t expecting to see you today? Is everything alright?” 

Shinwon only half listened to the conversation between the pair as he took in the room. He’d never been in the room before. He’d only seen a glimpse of it when he had been eavesdropping on Yanan and Hyojong what seemed like ages ago. It had an earthy scent and the shelves were filled with all sorts of things; one was filled with row upon row of meticulously organized vials while another had jars of various ingredients. A few shelves had a variety of books ranging from stuff that was new to stuff that looked at least a century old- if not more. Along one wall there was a glass case that had various crystals and amulets displayed inside, and along another wall there was a long table that had a portable burner that currently had a pot of something boiling away on it. There were a few vials and jars clustered around it as well as a mortar and pestle. He watched as Hyojong wandered over to the pot, scooping some of what appeared to be a deep green wax into a bowl and stirring it around, still listening to Hui as he babbled away.

“You a witch?” The stranger’s voice came and Shinwon turned to meet the serpentine gaze of the man before him. His dark hair was pushed out of his face for the most part, but a few dark strands fell over his forehead, swooping gently over his eyebrow. Although his features were serpentine, he looked harmless enough. If anything, he gave off the same curious energy as a puppy. 

“No… I’m just a person,” he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Ooooh! I don’t get the chance to meet regular people very often! At least not ones whose eyes are opened,” the stranger perked up. “I’m a shifter myself. What’s your name, person?”

“Shinwon…” 

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you! I’m Seonghwa-ow!” He winced as Hyojong began applying the green wax to his back.

“Oops. It’s hot,” Hyojong said, not seeming to care much for the other’s pain. 

“No shit,” the other replied, his features still twisted in pain as Hyojong continued to brush it in sweeping motions across his back, focusing especially on the area around his shoulder blades. 

“What’s he doing, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m still new to all of this…”

“Oh, it’s kinda embarrassing really. I injured myself while in my true form. It would be easier to heal me if I was shifted, but it’s more complicated than that. I travelled a long way because Hyojong here is a genius. He’s currently treating the injury for me without me being shifted. Unfortunately, it involves a lot of pain before I heal,” Seonghwa replied with a wince as the other continued to apply the treatment. “What about you? Ordinary people don’t just show up here on accident, and you walked in with a vampire-“ he gestured at Hui, “what’s your story?”

“Honestly, I don’t really know why I’m here. It was Hui’s idea. I think he’s selling me to Hyojong to experiment on,” Shinwon said the last part in a dramatic whisper, earning a laugh from the other.

“You do realize in order for me to get any answers I’ll have to stab him with some needles right?” Shinwon turned his attention to the conversation happening between Hui and Hyojong.  _ Who was being stabbed with needles?  _

The look of alarm must have been clear on Shinwon’s face because Hui turned to him, holding his hands up apologetically. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna make you do anything you’re not comfortable with!” 

“Well, if you ask me, there’s no reason for you to be afraid of a needle. Especially if you let Ki-“ Hui elbowed Hyojong causing the other to almost drop his bowl. Seonghwa looked between the trio with a raised eyebrow. Shinwon felt his face heat up.

“Hey, there’s no logic behind phobias! But if it’ll help us get answers then I guess it can’t be helped,” Shinwon finally said in a defeated tone. 

“Right. You two hang tight then. I’m almost done treating this fool, so I’ll help you fools when we’re finished,” Hyojong tapped the top of Seonghwa’s head for emphasis before setting back to work. 

Shinwon wandered around the room while he waited, continuing to poke through the books and other odds and ends. His attention kept drifting back to the shifter. He had so many questions he wanted to ask Seonghwa, but he kept to himself instead. Besides, there was no knowing what types of questions might seem harmless but were actually invasive. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder. The only shifters he’d met thus far were werewolves, and while he’d heard that werewolves weren’t the only kind, he couldn’t help but wonder what Seonghwa’s ‘true form’ was. 

Shinwon turned to face him. “If you don’t mind me asking… the only other shifters I’ve known are werewolves and that’s more or less how I’ve heard them refer to it. Why do you use the phrase ‘true form’?” The question seemed innocent enough.

Seonghwa grinned. “I guess it sort of depends on the type of shifter. You’re still pretty new to all of this yeah? There’s tons of different types of shifters and they range from being super common - like your werewolf friends - to being extremely rare. The most common ones typically don’t realize they’re shifters until they’re teenagers or adults, but some of the more rare ones are born exhibiting traits of what they shift into, and are usually able to fully shift forms by the time they can walk. Since it’s so natural for those of us, true form is usually how we describe it.”

Shinwon blinked, deciphering the words that had come out of the other’s mouth. “Woah… that’s super interesting! I didn’t know that there was such a range,” he trailed off. 

“Yup! I’ll leave you with this one last tidbit,” Seonghwa began as he pulled his shirt back on - Hyojong had finished applying the wax and it had hardened into a thick scale-like layer across his back. “Basically any mythological creature had to have come from somewhere right? People are imaginative but they always take inspiration from things that already exist. Many legends come from shifters flaunting their true forms!”

That only gave Shinwon more questions. He couldn’t help but be incredibly curious now. If anything was game then did that mean something as fantastic as unicorns or dragons existed? Better yet, was mothman real and actually a shifter? He was ready to ask just that when Seonghwa stood up, clapping his hands together. 

“I’ll see you around Shinwon. I’d say don’t let the vampires bite, but from the sound of things it’s too late for that,” he winked before backing out of the door, leaving Shinwon staring after him with his jaw hanging open.

“You’ve gotten lab work done before right?” Shinwon turned around to face Hyojong, who was now rooting through a cabinet.

“Yeah, a few times.”

“Great! Sit down where Seonghwa was, pick an arm and roll up that sleeve for me.”

It was too late to back out now he supposed, but Shinwon was not thrilled about the prospect of his blood being drawn. Hyojong came into view, setting down an arrangement of things that Shinwon didn’t want to look at too closely or he was sure he would faint. He looked at Hui, who nodded at him encouragingly, trying not to think too hard about the feeling of Hyojong’s cool hands on his skin as he wiped his arm with an alcohol wipe and felt around for the right spot. 

“Need me to count down for you?”

“Maybe?” Shinwon asked. He wasn’t sure if even a countdown would give him the amount of time needed to mentally prepare himself but he appreciated the offer.

“Alright. Five, four,” the needle was in Shinwon’s arm. “Whoops, I shoulda mentioned I’m bad at math. Need someone to hold your hand?”

“N-“ Hui’s hand was around his before he could even get a full word out. Where Hyojong was teasing him relentlessly, Hui was giving Shinwon a warm smile and an encouraging thumbs up. 

“You’ve got this babe.”

Shinwon made the mistake of glancing in Hyojong’s direction and the sight of his blood going through a tube and into a vial was enough to make his head spin a little. He closed his eyes, willing the dizziness to stop before he turned to look at Hui again. “I hope I do,” he laughed weakly. Hyojong didn’t give any warning before he drew the needle out of his arm, just as quickly applying a cotton ball over the puncture and instructing Shinwon to hold it. 

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He was grabbing at his arm to wrap a thin layer of gauze around it to hold the cotton ball in place. 

“No but it wasn’t good either. What now?” Shinwon looked between Hui and Hyojong with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh. Now is the fun part,” Hyojong flashed a grin. He was enjoying this too damn much. “Hui, come here,” he beckoned the shorter over. Hui shrugged and walked over to him, none the wiser. Shinwon watched with narrowed eyes. Before Hui could question the other’s plans, Hyojong firmly took his hand in his, turning it so his palm was facing up. Just as quickly, he pulled out a dagger - Shinwon hadn’t seen it before - and swiftly ran it across Hui’s hand. Blood blossomed out of the deep gash, and while Shinwon shouted with alarm, Hui only winced, looking down at his hand with knitted eyebrows.

“Okay? What’s this supposed to accomplish?”

“Well, let’s just say I have a hunch based off of what you described to me. Drink up,” Hyojong tossed the vial of Shinwon’s blood to Hui, who was quick to catch it in his non-injured hand. 

“You don’t really think that-“

“We won’t know for sure unless you drink it.” 

Hui frowned, but gently lifted the vial to his lips. Shinwon wasn’t sure what Hyojong thought was going to happen, but when the wound on Hui’s hand actually began glimmering his jaw dropped. He watched as the skin began to merge back together until there was no sign that he’d ever had an injury on his hand. All that remained was the blood that had managed to escape. 

“I didn’t know that vampires had super healing-“

“We don’t. We heal quicker than humans, but not within seconds. That was from your blood, Shinwon,” Hui was staring at his hand, but even though it seemed like it should be a good thing, he had a deep set frown. 

“Isn’t that a good thing, or at least pretty cool?”

“It wouldn’t be a bad thing normally but…” Hui trailed off. 

When it was clear he wouldn’t finish his thought, Hyojong turned to face Shinwon. “But. We’ve been worried all this time about Changgu trying to kill you. If he finds out that your blood can do this? He’ll do much worse.” 

In his time he’d known Hyojong, he’d always known him to be brutally honest. He could crack jokes when he needed to, of course, but when it came to serious things he had a habit of never sugar coating things. And even though Shinwon knew this, Hyojong’s words still left a heavy weight in his stomach.

“Worse…?” 

“Yeah. Worse.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hui and Hyo r the literal worst at explaining anything don’t ask them for help: ever

Shinwon had come to find out several essential things.

The first that was that blood that had healing properties was incredibly rare and sought after by many vampires. While the majority of vampires tried to live peacefully alongside everyone else, there was still no shortage in those who would try to get their hands on such precious blood at all costs. If Changgu found out about this - and there was no doubt that it was only a matter of time before he did - then he certainly wouldn’t hesitate to kidnap Shinwon and make him into his own personal blood bank. According to Hui and Hyojong, Changgu wasn’t the type to take blood and store it away for later. If he got his hands on Shinwon he would likely feed directly from him anytime he desired, meaning that as soon as Yanan’s potion was out of his system he would be at Changgu’s mercy and will. There was no way to sugarcoat any of this and Shinwon had listened to everything that they had to say with a heavy heart.

The second thing that Shinwon had come to find out was that he wasn’t the first person they’d met with healing blood, and that the last person they’d met hadn’t been fortunate enough to escape from Changgu in time. Changgu had fed from and kept this unfortunate human for several years before he got the idea of turning them into a vampire. After all, vampires could feed from each other as well, and if his personal blood bank was a vampire then he wouldn’t have to worry about finding a new source. Except, when Changgu had turned him, his blood had lost all of the magical properties it had formerly had. Realizing his mistake, he was going to dispose of him. Before he could do anything though, the newborn vampire managed to flee from him. He was weak, but he managed to make it into the protection of Hui and Hyunggu. His name was Adachi Yuto.

Shinwon hadn’t been sure how to respond, but the more he had thought about it, the more it made sense. Yuto had never been one for talking tons, and he almost always was able to hold a stoic mask. When he was with Wooseok, his mask slipped away just enough to reveal a friendly boy who was hopelessly in love and always careful about everything. The only other time Shinwon had seen that mask slip away, he’d been met with fury and anger. Anger directed at Changgu for even daring to step foot in a place he’d considered a safe space and even more so for threatening someone who he trusted and had begun to consider a friend. Shinwon hadn’t had any idea where such anger had come from then, but when Yuto had mentioned that Changgu was the one who turned him, he’d known immediately that it was anything but a good situation. 

The third thing that Shinwon learned was that Hyojong knew so much about magical blood because he himself had magical blood. Instead of it healing though, it was a poison. It was like his body had a natural defense against vampires. It was more complicated than that, though. He had frowned, admitting that he didn’t know anything was different about his blood for years. Then he’d met his partner, someone who was a vampire. When he’d let them feed on him, they had been injured. Even though they stopped quick enough that they were able to heal just fine and they hadn’t hesitated to forgive him, saying that there was no way he would have known, he still felt guilty all these years later. 

The final revelation was perhaps the one he’d been least prepared for. Although anybody magical or not was able to create a potion and practice some degree of simplified witchcraft, only those with access to the power of the elements were able to cast a spell or a sigil, command the elements to their will, or enchant or curse an item or person. This had seemed to make enough sense, but then Hyojong had continued to speak. Blood with magical properties was rare, yes, but it also only appeared in those with true access to elemental magic. 

Shinwon had stared blankly. Surely, Hyojong was joking right? But the other hadn’t cracked a smile or laughed, and when Shinwon had turned to face Hui, the other’s expression was just as serious. At a loss for words, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say or where to begin. There had to be a mistake. If he’d had access to magic his whole life, he was sure he would have noticed before now, yet he’d never noticed anything out of the ordinary. 

It was with these truths weighing heavily on his mind that the pair returned home. Shinwon had sat in silence the whole car ride, staring at his hands and wondering if what they had said was actually true. The certainty was unmistakable, sure, but nonetheless doubt weighed heavy in Shinwon’s mind like a cloud. 

Hui opened the door for Shinwon, snaking his arms around his own as they went inside. While he was never the touchiest person as a general rule, Hui’s clinginess came as a small comfort. At least he had something familiar to ground him for the time being. Once inside, Shinwon flung himself onto the sofa with a sigh, staring at the small stack of books Hyojong had thrown into his arms before they’d left.

“I’m not gonna push you to do anything right now because I’m sure you’re feeling overwhelmed, but maybe taking a look at some of these when you’re ready will help,” Hyojong had said. 

Hui had agreed, saying that if they were able to figure out how to access Shinwon’s magic, they might be able to teach him enough to hold his own against Changgu. At the time, Shinwon hadn’t said anything, just taking the books and staring at them blankly. He couldn’t deny that it made enough sense. If it weren’t for the fact that he was already overwhelmed by everything, he probably would have been psyched to discover he was a witch. Ever since he’d been a child, he’d been obsessed with all things magical and supernatural. But it was too much being thrown at him at once and his mind had shut down.

At home, however, his mind felt much clearer. He could get through… whatever this was. He had to. 

The first book wasn’t so much as a book as much as a journal. It was old, but the signs of wear were subtle. It had been carefully kept for who knows how long. The spine had Hyojong’s name burned into it and Shinwon suspected it was his own personal notes. 

The second one was a leather bound book that claimed to be a “brief” study of magic from basic spells to types of witches and various elemental subsections. Brief was stretching it though. The book was easily the heaviest of the stack and Shinwon wouldn’t have been surprised if it was over 1000 pages. 

It was the third book that finally brought a reaction out of Shinwon. He scoffed.

“What?” Hui asked from where he had sat down next to him.

“Is he joking with this?” He held up the book so that Hui could see the cover. It was some brightly colored new age-y bullshit. “Discovering Oneself? How is deep breathing and yoga gonna help me?” 

Hui hummed, looking thoughtful for a moment.

“Don’t tell me you have an actual explanation for this-“

“Well, actually I do,” the other began, grinning at Shinwon. “Usually people buy these kinds of books for quote unquote spiritual enlightenment right? Well accessing the elements doesn’t have shit to do with spirituality, but unless your mind and body are… at peace? Let’s go with at peace. Unless your mind and body are at peace with each other and you are able to understand which element is linked with where, elemental magic is very difficult to master.”

“I’m going to be completely honest… everything you just said was gibberish to me,” Shinwon sighed, staring down at the book. 

“Have you seen Avatar?”

“The Last Airbender? Of course I have, what do you take me for-“

“So. Remember the episode where Aang is with that guru and he has him go through all these steps to open his chakras so that he can enter the Avatar State whenever? It’s kinda like that. Not quite, but close enough.”

“So you’re saying I’m the Avatar,” Shinwon said, deadpan.

“No. While in Last Airbender, only one person has access to multiple elements, in the real world most witches can access at least two, and it’s not unheard of to be able to access more than that either. Take Hyojong and Yanan, for example. Hyojong’s magic is mostly based in earth and fire magic, whereas Yanan’s is mostly based in air and water. Another distinction is that there are way more elements than those four. Those are just the primary ones. Other elements are harder to come by but they’re still there. And the elements aren’t completely separate from each other either. Think of it kind of like a spectrum. Elemental magic can very easily blend from one element to the next.”

“Wow,” Shinwon’s brain was trying to catch up with the info dump that Hui had just given him. It made sense, he guessed, but he could feel himself starting to become overwhelmed again. “So basically… what you’re getting at is that I need to have my anime character development arc in order to access the powers hidden within, and only then will I become all powerful and able to defeat the final boss?”

“You’re ridiculous, Shinwon,” Hui laughed, lightly punching his shoulder. 

“It’s how I cope with uncertainty,” he shrugged, looking back down at the books. Joking around had always helped him when things got tough. He could feel himself starting to relax somewhat, but he’d always been impatient. Finding out that he harbored some unknown source of magic was cool and all, but what he really wanted was to figure out _what exactly_ said magic was. Could he breathe fire? Could he fly? Could he control plants? He had no idea how he would even figure out how to use any supposed magic he had if he didn’t even know what type it was. 

He pulled out his phone. 

**FrailState95:** r u at work rn?

**Banan:** Why? Is everything okay?

**FrailState95:** i take it hui and hyo haven’t told you anything yet??

**Banan:** Told me what? What happened? 

**FrailState95:** i need 2 see u asap but dw, I’m fine. 

**Banan:** You say you’re fine, but you’re not making me worry any less by being vague, Shinwon. 

**Banan:** I’m at home rn though so feel free to let yourself in. 

Shinwon looked up from his phone over at Hui. The other had moved to the kitchen and was humming to himself as he rooted through the fridge. “Hey, I know we just got back but I’m gonna head out again. I’m going to Yanan’s,” he called.

“That’s probably for the best,” Hui called back, his voice muffled by the door of the fridge. “Text me when you get there alright? And let me know if you find out anything or if you need anything!” 

“Will do,” Shinwon said with a grin before grabbing his coat and sliding on his boots. It was warm for mid February, and he almost didn’t need a coat, but he figured it was better safe than sorry just in case the weather decided to take a turn for the worse. He could drive, but he opted to walk instead. Although his own home felt pretty secluded, he knew Yanan didn’t live too far away. 

He hadn’t exactly been to the other’s home before, but he knew where it was and how to get there because on one of the rare nights that his own shift lined up with Hyunggu’s, Yanan’s car had broken down. The other had whined and complained about it, but Hyunggu reassured him that it was no problem to give him a ride. He’d awkwardly had Hyunggu drop him off at the end of a long dirt drive that seemed to lead further into the woods, saying that he didn’t have to bother driving up to his home. 

Shinwon wasn’t sure what he expected Yanan’s home to look like because he hadn’t been able to see anything as the other had wandered up the drive before disappearing in the shadows of the forest. He wasn’t sure if the other was trying to be secretive, or if he was just a weird guy. Maybe it was a little bit of both. 

Shinwon shoved the books from Hyojong into a bag before slinging it over his shoulder and pulling out his earbuds and putting on a random playlist before finally letting the door shut behind him as he stepped outside. The cool air felt refreshing on his skin and between that and the music, he felt his mind clearing quickly as he made his way down the driveway. 

If anyone could help him, it was Yanan. Shinwon was more sure of that than anything else in his whole life. Whatever answers he needed, he was sure the other would work with him to find them. He was thankful for the books from Hyojong and for Hui’s explanations, and he was sure there was plenty to be learned from them, but he’d always been better at figuring things out with a hands on approach than with hours of reading, and he knew Yanan tended to be more hands on. 

Even though it was mid afternoon, Shinwon watched as the shadows of the forest grew as the sun quickly set. It took him no longer than twenty minutes to get to the familiar drive, yet it looked to be well into evening by the time he got there. As he walked up the dirt path - it was more of a path than a drive really - he shot a text to Hui letting him know he was there. He took in the surroundings as he continued to shuffle onwards. The trees in this part of the forest weren’t dead like elsewhere. In fact, Shinwon knew for a fact that he could feel the temperature steadily rising the further he pressed on. He shrugged off his coat, his eyebrows knitting together. He’d have to ask Yanan about how he had managed to change the entire climate of his property later. 

Finally, a small home came into view. Shinwon almost wanted to call it a cottage, because that’s what it felt like. A cottage in the woods, the perfect place for a witch to live. Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d even be fed sweets before being eaten. Shinwon shoved the thought to the back of his head, laughing to himself. Yanan would be the last person to put him in harm’s way, and he’d be an idiot not to see that. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could, it swung open and he was being pulled inside.

“Are you safe? Did you get hurt? What happened?” Yanan’s hands were all over Shinwon, scrutinizing him for the smallest sign of injury, his eyebrows knit together in concern.

“I’m fine. I’m okay. Really, you don’t have to-“

“Who did this to you? You didn’t have a run in with Changgu did you?” Yanan’s hand had stopped on Shinwon’s neck, and he felt himself heating up in embarrassment.

“I’m fine. It wasn’t Changgu, it was just Hyunggu. Don’t look at me like that, I let him-“ he was sure his face was bright red at this point, and Yanan’s expression morphed from pure and unfiltered concern to one almost equally as embarrassed as his own. He let go of Shinwon.

“Right. Right, I shoulda guessed. I was just worried is all,” there was something in the other’s voice that Shinwon couldn’t quite place. Seeing Shinwon staring at him, Yanan cleared his throat. “So what brings you here then?”

“Well…” Shinwon trailed off. He wasn’t even sure where to begin. 

“Sit down, make yourself at home. I’ll make tea so you have time to get your thoughts together.” Yanan didn’t give Shinwon a chance to reply before disappearing around the corner.

Between Yanan practically yanking him inside and then bombarding him with questions, Shinwon hadn’t really had a chance to take in his surroundings. Now, he surveyed the room with curiosity. The room that the front door led into had a small living area with a couch and a couple of chairs surrounding a low wooden table. There was a fireplace but there wasn’t currently fire in it. The shelf above it had a couple of books, a dirty mug, a handful of candles, and a bundle of lavender on it while the table was empty save for a single bowl filled with a shimmering liquid. Other than a bookcase filled with all sorts of books, the room had no other furniture. A few paintings hung on one of the walls; most of them were landscapes, one depicted a hauntingly beautiful woman in a gown, her skin seeming to glow in the moonlight.

Yanan wandered back into the room and saw Shinwon staring. “Ah, that’s an old friend. I have tea, unless you wanna keep looking through all of my things.” Although the comment itself was sassy, Yanan’s voice held no hint of accusation. When Shinwon turned to face him, he even saw a glimmer of amusement on his features. 

“Thank you,” he managed, taking the mug and wandering over to one of the chairs to take a seat.

“So have you had sufficient time to think of what you need to say?”

Shinwon inhaled. “Well, you already saw the scar from Hyunggu. That’s kinda part of why I’m here,” he was almost afraid to look up from his mug, but when he met Yanan’s eyes, he saw no hint of judgement, so he continued to speak, explaining everything from how Hyunggu had been acting to the details of their visit with Hyojong and the revelations they’d come from. The whole time, Yanan listened without saying anything, just occasionally nodding to show he was still listening. When Shinwon finished speaking, he looked up to see the other staring at him with a determined expression.

“Lemme see the books Hyojong gave you,” he held out his hand, and Shinwon nodded, pulling them out of his bag and handing them to Yanan. He watched as he looked through the pile, flipping through each book and skimming a couple of pages of each with his eyebrows knitted together. Then, he handed the pile back to Shinwon. “Hyojong has the right idea with these, and though I know he means well with the last one, I think it’ll just confuse you more than actually help you. Most witches don’t _try_ to awaken their magic so there’s not usually a spiritual process or anything like that. Usually it just happens, but clearly that’s not the case with you…” he trailed off, staring at the bowl that sat on the table. “Shinwon?”

“Hm?”

“How much do you trust me?”

“I trust you with my life…” Shinwon said cautiously, wondering where the question had come from. 

“Good. Come closer,” Yanan gestured for him to get up. Not knowing where he was going with this, Shinwon moved so that he was kneeling next to Yanan. 

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll thank me later,” Yanan said, and before Shinwon had the time to question what the meaning behind his words was, his head was being submerged into the shimmering liquid that filled the bowl. 

His first instinct was to struggle. _What the hell was Yanan trying to do?_ But then he quickly realized that he could breathe completely fine. Not only that, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that he was no longer in the Yanan’s living room. Or maybe he was and he was just hallucinating. The place he was currently standing in was completely black and empty, but he could see himself fine. He had the sensation of being the only thing that existed in an otherwise empty dimension. He fought the panic that wanted to rip its way out of him, forcing himself to clear his mind. There had to be a reason that Yanan had done… whatever the hell this was. 

“Are you okay?” Shinwon jumped at the sound of the other’s voice, turning to see that he had materialized out of nowhere.

“Where the hell are we?”

“We’re still in my home, if that’s what you’re wondering. We’re in a parallel pocket of space. I figured it would be safest to do this here, since we have no idea what we’re dealing with.”

“Slow down, slow down. Parallel pocket? Like another dimension!?” Shinwon asked incredulously, but before Yanan could answer his first question, he spoke again. “And what exactly is it that we’re doing here that’s supposedly too dangerous to do in the regular world?”

“Well. Simply put, I’m going to awaken your magic. That is what you want, right?” Yanan stared at him as if the answer should have been obvious.

“Well… yeah, I guess? You can really just do that though?”

“Yup. While in most cases, witches’ magic is awakened on their own, sometimes the only way to awaken it is with other magic.”

“How is that dangerous though?”

“It’s one thing for you to know that you have magic and access to the elements within you, but it’s another thing to be able to feel it flowing through your being. Some witches get overwhelmed when their powers are awakened. Since we don’t know what elements you’re most tied to or what types of magic you have access to, I don’t wanna risk any damage coming to my home if it happens to be something destructive.”

“Right…” Shinwon trailed off. He’d never thought of himself as someone destructive so the idea of having potentially dangerous magic weighed heavily on his mind. Then again, if it was something that he might be able to use to defend himself, it would be best to figure it out sooner rather than later. “So, how exactly do we go about ‘awakening my powers’?” He waggled his fingers in the air for emphasis, causing Yanan to roll his eyes.

“Are you even taking this seriously?”

“Believe me when I say that I am,” Shinwon said with an uneasy laugh.

“Okay then. Let’s begin,” Yanan clapped his hands together.

Shinwon’s ears began ringing and immediately he felt as if he was being pulled downwards. He could see Yanan’s lips moving as the other spoke, his expression blank, but his words were lost as the ringing in his ears grew louder. He trusted Yanan. He had to trust him, but whatever he was doing to him _hurt._ He covered his ears, sinking to the ground as the ringing continued to grow louder, but he fought to hold Yanan’s gaze. The other’s presence was the only thing keeping him from panicking completely. The pain started to fade away but his ears continued to ring and Shinwon found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything. Was Yanan trying to awaken his magic or give him a migraine?

In the same moment he felt energy surge through him, he blacked out, pressing his hands against the ground in an attempt to keep his balance. 

His ears weren’t ringing anymore, and when he cracked open an eye, Yanan was no longer standing in front of him. Immediately, the panic he’d been keeping at bay rose in him and he looked around frantically. “Yanan?” He tried to keep his voice steady, but he winced as it cracked.

“I’m still here, Shinwon,” the other said with a heavy sigh, his voice coming from… _above him?_

Shinwon looked up and met eyes with Yanan. Yanan, who was currently floating in air with a bewildered expression on his face. 

“Since when do you fly?”

“I can’t fly. This is all you. Can you let me down now?”

Shinwon blinked, staring at the other in confusion. He’d done that? He was vaguely aware of the sensation of energy surging through his fingertips and into the ground. He tried to focus on that energy, but he wasn’t even sure where to begin with controlling it. He inhaled, willing himself to calm down and concentrate, and finally he felt himself grasp at the energy. Cautiously, he tried to lower it, and he watched as Yanan slowly began to float back to his level. When he could no longer feel the energy flowing through his fingers, he lifted his hands off the ground.

“Shinwon, you really are a piece of work, you know?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to feel insulted or not by the comment.

“You didn’t just make me float. You manipulated the gravity of this space.”

“I did?”

“Yeah. And while most people probably would have just taken their hands off the ground and let me drop, you were smart enough to gradually increase the gravity back to normal.”

“I can be thoughtful sometimes,” he said, the edge of a smile in his tone. “For example, right now I am thinking of the fact that I would very much like to get out of here and back into the normal world. I’m exhausted.”

Yanan laughed at the comment, but walked over, grabbing Shinwon’s wrist. He blinked and they were standing in his living room again. It was much darker outside than when Yanan had unceremoniously dunked his head into the bowl, and Shinwon pulled out his phone, looking at the time in confusion. Two hours had passed.

“Time passes differently there,” Yanan quickly explained. 

“That’s an understatement. I should probably get back, I don’t want Hui and Hyunggu to worry about me,” Shinwon turned to make his way towards the door, but Yanan’s hand shot out, grabbing his. 

“Text them and tell them you’ll stay here. I don’t care how close you live, it’s too late for you to be wandering through the woods all by yourself.” His voice left no room for negotiation. He wanted to protest, to say that he didn’t have to worry about him and that he didn’t need to be babied, but he knew the other was right. It didn’t matter how confident he was, it would be foolish to take a risk, no matter how small of a risk it seemed. 

“Fine,” he said, sighing and giving in. 

**Won:** Yanan’s insisting I stay here for the night. He doesn’t think it’s safe 4 me to walk home by myself :v

**Money Mosquito:** Ah, that’s thoughtful of him ;)

**Won:** Why the winky face?

**Money Mosquito:** Were you guys able to find any answers? 

**Won:** Yeah;; he did some weird thing to ‘awaken’ my magic;; the new agey book hyo gave me was pretty much useless lmao

**Money Mosquito:** Hyo is trying his best. I think he forgets not everybody’s brain works the same way as his. 

**Kiki <3: **I’m at work why r y’all blowing up my phone

**Money Mosquito:** Shinwon’s staying at Yannie’s place 2night. I’ll fill you in about what Hyo was able to tell us when you get home bc it was,, a lot,, 

**Kiki <3: **Oh okay have fun use protection

**Won:** what the hell is wrong with you guys

**Kiki <3: **<3

**Money Mosquito:** <3

Shinwon shoved his phone into his pocket with a sigh, seeing Yanan staring at him with a raised eyebrow. “You seem angry.”

“I’m not angry,” he felt his face heat up. “Hui and Hyunggu are just idiots,” he shook his head. “Neither of them seem worried though, so I guess I’m here to stay.” 

Yanan tilted his head in confusion, but shrugged. “I know you’re a night owl and you’ll probably be up for a while, but you can sleep in my room. I’ll just crash on the couch,” he said, gesturing for Shinwon to follow him. He lead him into a small room that contained a twin bed with a trunk at the end of it. Instead of a closet, there was a wardrobe against one of the walls and a small bedside table to the left of the bed. The bed was covered in a thick quilt that was filled with shades of blue and purple, and the bed itself had a dark wooden frame. The chest, wardrobe, and table all seemed to be made of the same wood, but other than that, the room was light. The walls were white, making it seem more spacious than it actually was, and the window was framed with vines. A few more plants sat in small pots lining the windowsill. Other than the plants, the room had almost no decoration. Then again, Yanan didn’t strike Shinwon as being the most materialistic person. 

“It’s not much, but I hope you’re able to rest fine,” 

“Are you sure? I don’t mind sleeping on the couch. It’s your house, after all.”

“You're my guest, it’s the least I can do. That trunk has more blankets in it if you get cold. I’ll be out in the living room if you need anything else though,” Yanan said. He stared at Shinwon for a moment, his eyes analyzing him, before wandering back down the hall.

Shinwon had never liked sleeping at other people’s homes. It didn’t matter if he was visiting a family member or spending the night at a friend’s house; he always felt like he was intruding. He took a deep breath before turning of the light and climbing into the bed. The mattress was comfortable under him and the quilts were more than enough to keep him warm. It wasn’t even 9 pm yet but he could feel the sleep tugging at his body. Whatever Yanan had done to awaken him had taken a lot more out of him than he’d realized. 

Shinwon wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard something slam in the other room. He sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes, before pulling himself out of bed. “Yanan? You alright?” He got no response, so he shuffled to the doorway, peering down the hall. “Yanan?” He tried again. 

He made his way down the hall. The light was still on in the living room, but he saw no sign of the other having been sleeping out there. He felt a breeze brush against his skin and turned to see that the door was hanging open. He frowned. “Yanan?” He called louder this time, but wherever the other had gone off to, he couldn’t hear him. Shinwon made his way to the door, standing on the porch and looking around. 

“Pleasure seeing you here,” Shinwon felt a chill crawl up his spine as he turned to face the owner of the voice. 

Changgu stepped into the light, peering at Shinwon with dark eyes and a smirk tugging at his lips. He fought the urge to step backwards, not wanting to show the other he was afraid. _Where was Yanan?_ Warning bells were going off in his mind and he fought to keep himself calm. 

“Why are you here?”

“For you, of course,” Changgu said with a hum, his smirk breaking into a full on grin. 

“Well too bad, I don’t want you here. I’m sure Yanan doesn’t either,” Shinwon said slowly. Changgu took another step towards him and this time Shinwon couldn’t help but step backwards, trying to keep his distance.

“Oh my, that’s not very welcoming, now is it? You might not want me here right now, but I’ll change your mind one way or another~” 

“I find that highly unlikely,” Shinwon took another step back, only to be met with a wall. Changgu continued to move closer to him. The expression on his face had become downright predatory and Shinwon wasn’t surprised when he saw the other’s fangs slide out from his gums.

“No need to be worried. I’d never do anything to cause you real damage,” Changgu practically had Shinwon pinned against the wall now and he fought to look anywhere but at him. 

“You’ve wanted to kill me since I got here. Now’s your chance. Do it.”

Changgu tsked, shaking his head. “No, no, no. You have it all wrong, Shinwon. I don’t wanna kill you. I have much better things planned.” 

He leaned in, pressing his lips against his. 

“No,” Shinwon cried out, sitting up and looking around the room frantically. A dream. It was just a dream. He willed himself to calm down, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He heard soft footsteps and looked up to see Yanan standing in the doorway.

“Are you okay?” 

Shinwon nodded. “It was just a nightmare. I’ll survive.”

Yanan softly padded into the room, taking a seat next to him. “Do you need to talk about it?”

“I dunno if talking about it will help much. It was about Changgu. I didn’t like it.”

Yanan sighed, shaking his head. “That bastard will get what’s coming for him eventually. If I can help it, he’ll never touch a hair on your body.” 

“I believe that,” Shinwon laughed uneasily. 

“It’s late though. You should try to get back to sleep. Are you gonna be okay?” 

A glance at his phone told him it was about 4 am. He wasn’t sure if he could just fall back asleep after a dream like that. 

“Not to sound like a big baby, but that dream really unnerved me. Could you stay?” 

Yanan let out a soft laugh. “You realize that we’re both tall and that’s a twin bed right?”

“Yanan I’m too tired to care about such trivial things,” Shinwon grumbled. Of course it was an absurd request and he immediately felt embarrassed. Still, the idea of being by himself wasn’t comforting. He was worried he would fall back asleep and immediately be thrown back into the same dream. 

He saw Yanan shake his head in the darkness. “If that’ll help you sleep, then yeah. I’ll stay with you,” his voice held no hint of judgement. 

It wasn’t the response Shinwon was expecting but he felt himself relax, moving over to make space for Yanan. He climbed under the quilt, laying down next to Shinwon and wrapping an arm around him. _Oh, so Yanan was a cuddler._

“Try to get some rest, okay?” His voice was soft and soothing, and Shinwon was vaguely aware of the feeling of energy flowing from the other to him. Before he could wonder what Yanan was doing, he was fast asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear there were typos in here but I can’t find them so if u find a typo pls let me know ;-;


	11. Chapter 11

When Shinwon woke up, it was in a tangle of limbs. One of Yanan’s legs was wrapped around his hips while the other one dug into his stomach. Shinwon cracked open his eyes, squinting in the sunlight that streamed through the windows. Yanan’s pink hair was sticking up in every direction as he continued to snore softly and Shinwon couldn’t find it in himself to shove the other away. He looked so peaceful, and it would be a crime to wake him.

He seemed to wake on his own though, sighing and burying his head in Shinwon’s chest before he opened his eyes. He was quiet for a moment while his mind took time to wake up with the rest of him, but then he seemed to realize that he was completely wrapped around the other.

“Hey.” His voice was thick with sleep.

“Hey.”

“You could have pushed me away, you know? I bet this isn’t comfortable.”

Shinwon shrugged, pushing himself into a sitting up position and looking down at Yanan with a lopsided grin. “I could have, but you looked too cute to move. I didn’t wanna wake you up.”

“Haha. You’re hilarious,” Yanan said dryly, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow.

“What’s so funny? I’m telling the truth you know…”

Yanan pulled away just enough of the pillow to shoot a glare at Shinwon, his cheeks red. “I’m not awake enough to deal with this,” he finally said with a defeated sigh. He climbed out of bed, blanket wrapped around him like a cape. “I’m gonna take a shower. You can help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” Shinwon stared after him as he left the room. _Weird._ Then again, Yanan was always kinda weird.

He continued to sit there for a few more moments, stretching with a yawn and listening as he heard the shower turn on, before his stomach got the best of him and he wandered to the kitchen in search of something to eat. He glanced at his phone; it was almost 1 pm and he had texts from Hui, Hyunggu, and Hyojong. He also had a missed call from Hongseok. He didn’t have the energy to deal with any of them at the moment, so he just shot Hui and Hyunggu a quick text, telling them that he just woke up and would let them know when he was on his way home. He had enough time to measure out coffee and turn on the coffee maker before his phone began ringing. He picked up.

“Long night?” He could hear the teasing in Hyunggu’s voice and he sighed.

“What is with you and Hui and that?” The shower was still running but Shinwon was afraid to talk much louder than a whisper for fear of being overheard.

“I dunno what you’re possibly talking about~”

“Well whatever you guys think or wanted to happen definitely didn’t. The only thing that happened was me having a nightmare and Yanan using his wizard powers to knock me back out.” 

“He’ll come around eventually~”

“Come around to what?”

He heard Hyunggu sigh on the other end of the line. “Sometimes I forget that you’re the most oblivious person I’ve met, Shinwon.”

Shinwon knitted his eyebrows together, his mind trying to come up with an answer to Hyunggu’s teasing and questions before he finally realized what the other was getting at. “You think he likes me?” It came out in an incredulous whisper and he didn’t miss the way Hyunggu chuckled on the other end of the line.

“Not think. Know.”

“And you’re fine with that? You’re not jealous or anything?”

“Why? Am I supposed to be jealous? Love isn’t a competition, Shinwon. I‘m not jealous of Hui. Hui’s not jealous of me. Neither of us would be jealous of Yanan if you wanted to pursue a-“

“Christ, Hyunggu, I just woke up and I haven’t even had any coffee yet. Maybe you might have a talent for seeing how other people feel, but I don’t.”

Hyunggu was quiet for a moment and Shinwon wondered if he’d been too snappy or harsh with his words, but then the other responded, his voice soft and full of reassurance. “I know, I know. Sorry if I sounded pushy, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. But he does like you, he really does. He might not show it easily, but that’s just the type of person he is. Think about it, okay?” 

Shinwon sighed, shaking his head after a long moment. “Okay. Fine. I gotta go now before he gets out of the shower and asks why I’m talking about him on the phone…”

“Gotcha. Love you~”

“I love you too,” Shinwon said as he hung up the phone, shoving it into his pocket. To his relief, Yanan was still in the shower. The coffee was almost done brewing, the last remnants slowly trickling into the pot and the deep aroma filling the kitchen. Shinwon rooted around in the cupboards and fridge, debating what sounded good. Despite having felt hungry when he woke up, he no longer had much of an appetite. He settled for a bagel, toasting it and then coating each slice with a thick layer of cream cheese. 

It wasn’t until he’d sat down at the table, bagel and a mug of coffee in front of him, that Yanan finally emerged from the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist and his wet hair sticking to his forehead. Shinwon balked as the other strolled into the kitchen, pouring himself a mug of coffee and leaning against the counter, staring at him with a blank expression. He was much more muscular than Shinwon would have guessed, and he seemed completely unembarrassed by the fact that he was standing there in only a towel.

“What?” He asked, peering at Shinwon over his coffee.

Shinwon blinked, his face heating up when he realized he’d been staring. “Nothing!” His voice cracked. So much for trying to act cool. 

“Okay,” Yanan said simply, continuing to stare at Shinwon as he sipped at his coffee.

“Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?” He felt like the other was dissecting him with his gaze. It was unnerving.

Finally, Yanan’s poker face slipped away as the corner of his mouth quirked into a smirk. “You’re fun to stare at because you get all embarrassed and flustered,” he said with a snort.

Shinwon pouted, his face heating up, but he didn’t say anything else as he continued to drink his coffee and nibble at his bagel. Mostly, he was trying to think of anything other than the feeling of Yanan’s eyes drilling holes through his very being. When he finished, he stood up, awkwardly squeezing past the other to put his dishes in the sink. “I should probably get going now. Thank you for the help yesterday,” he stared at the ground. “Also, thank you for staying with me after I had that dream…” Part of him was still embarrassed about it, but if Yanan didn’t think it was a big deal, then he didn’t need to make it a big deal either.

“Of course. You know I’d do anything for you right?”

“Yeah…” Shinwon’s voice was small and he was afraid to meet the other’s eyes.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Sorry if I overstepped any boundaries or made you uncomfortable,” Yanan said, his voice soft. Shinwon looked up to meet Yanan’s concerned eyes.

“No no no, you don’t have to apologize for anything. I just have a lot on my mind, is all,” Shinwon said, shaking his head and giving Yanan what he hoped was a reassuring smile. 

Yanan nodded, but he still looked concerned. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything, even if it seems like a dumb question, okay?”

“Sure,” Shinwon said, giving Yanan a thumbs up before backing out of the room. Right now, all he wanted was to clear his mind. When he finally stepped outside, he felt himself visibly relax. The warm air felt nice on Shinwon’s skin and he revelled in the feeling of the sunlight, but he knew he’d likely have to shrug on his coat once he reached the end of Yanan’s property. 

He didn’t head straight home, instead wandering in the general direction of town. He shot Hui and Hyunggu a text to let them know that he was walking around and trying to clear his mind so that they wouldn’t worry, and then he popped his earbuds in, letting music softly play to ease his worries. It was a miracle that his phone was still above 50% despite not having charged it the previous night, but then again, he’d barely been on it the previous day. 

He pulled his jacket close to him as the temperature sharply dropped the further he got from Yanan’s house. It was overcast, and it was cold enough that Shinwon wasn’t sure if it was going to rain or snow. The wind bit at his skin, but he couldn’t bring himself to be bothered by it. He was more focused on the everything that had happened to him in the past couple of days. He wasn’t sure if it had been due to the venom or not, but his memories of the night with Hyunggu had been clouded over like a dream. He wondered how much Hui had told Hyunggu about what they’d discovered, and he knew that as soon as he got home, they’d both want to know every detail about what he’d learned at Yanan’s. Sure, Yanan had managed to awaken something in Shinwon, but he still had no idea how to access it let alone the extents to what he could do. The other’s stunned reaction from the fact that he’d managed to manipulate gravity sat like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Shinwon was afraid. He was afraid of what magic meant for him, afraid of what he could do, and most of all, Shinwon was afraid of somehow hurting someone close to him if he couldn't learn to control his magic properly. Yeah, he’d managed to safely let Yanan back down when he’d made him float, but he wasn’t so sure that things would be that easy in the future. 

He was shaken out of his thoughts as he stepped into a field. He wasn’t sure where he even was, and he peered around in confusion. Despite it being February, the field was in full bloom. The trees around it were full of life, birds sitting along the branches and peering at Shinwon curiously. A stream cut through the center of the field, trickling softly. Shinwon blinked, half expecting the bizarre sight to vanish when he opened his eyes again, but sure enough, it was still there. Where the hell was he?

With a start, he noticed a lion standing in the tree line. It stared right at him, making no move to come closer. Shinwon was almost positive he could see a mocking expression in its eyes. He was definitely dreaming. There was no way that he was standing in a blooming, flowery, pretty meadow with a lion staring at him in the middle of February. The whole idea was ridiculous. He laughed. The lion continued to stare at him, tilting its head in confusion. 

_Who the hell are you?_

Shinwon stopped laughing abruptly, staring at the lion. It hadn’t moved from the shadows of the tree line, but there was no mistake about it. It was a shifter. “Who the hell are you?”

_I asked you first. Ordinary people don’t just end up here._

“Okay, okay,” Shinwon held up his hands as the lion took a step towards him. “I’m Shinwon. Apparently I’m a witch but I didn’t know until literally yesterday, so wherever I am, it’s an accident.”

The lion made a noise and Shinwon was almost positive that the shifter was laughing at him. 

_Oh I know about you. Now it makes sense._

“What?”

_He said you were lying to him and he didn’t know why, but you weren’t intentionally lying. You just didn’t know the truth._

“Listen, lion man, I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’m very confused right now-“

_So. What can you do? I wanna see your magic! Can you show me?_

Shinwon stared at the shifter incredulously. He had wandered closer to Shinwon, lounging in the grass in front of him. “I barely know what I can do myself. What is this place anyways?”

_It’s a sanctuary. To normal folk, this area is just part of the woods, but to magical folk it is a safe place for us. Nobody can see what this place really is unless they are magical. Think of it as somewhat of a place for weary travelers to stay. Most of us have our places in the normal world, but if we’re traveling and worried for our safety, places like this exist all over the world. I met the lady who made this one once. She was really pretty._

Shinwon stared at the shifter as he began to ramble about the witch in question. For a lion, the guy wasn’t very intimidating, and Shinwon half expected his human form to be that of a child or teenager. But despite his bubbly and outgoing personality, he seemed to know what he was talking about, so Shinwon continued to listen to him ramble. 

He sat down in the grass near the shifter, absentmindedly twirling a blade of grass in his fingers as he listened. “So if this place is invisible to non-magical people, then what about that diner in town? That had something on it that made it so I couldn’t see it, even though I am magical?”

_That was a different type of enchantment. This place, anyone can find if they have even a drop of magic in them. That diner has an enchantment that makes it not so much invisible as much as unnoticeable unless you’re actively trying to find it._

“That makes sense… I guess,” Shinwon shrugged. He watched the shifter roll onto his back, swatting at a butterfly with his paw.

_Alright newb. I told you fun facts so it’s your turn. I wanna see what you can do!!_

The shifter sure was persistent. Shinwon sighed. “I barely know anything. Like I said, this is all extremely new as in since yesterday new to me. I can try but I can’t promise anything exciting.” He gently placed a hand against the ground, taking in the cool feeling of the grass and soil beneath his fingertips, and he let his eyelids flutter shut as he tried to focus on finding that stream of energy he’d felt the previous day. His ears began ringing slightly, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been before, and he grasped at the energy tightly, focusing on slowly letting it out instead of making everything go flying. 

_Woah._

He cracked open an eye as he continued to grip onto the energy, watching as the lion shifted where he laid, his features scrunched in confusion, until he slowly but surely began to float. Shinwon let out a gasp as he noticed that the shifter wasn’t the only one floating. Although Shinwon himself was still very firmly on the ground, a variety of pebbles that had been buried in the grass were floating around them as if suspended by threads. 

_I’ve never seen anything like this before…_

“You and me both,” Shinwon said shakily, trying to keep his focus on the energy that was flowing through him. He slowly exhaled as he began to loosen his grip on the energy, gradually letting the flow ebb away until the lion and the pebbles were back on the ground, and then he gently picked up his hand, wiping it on his pants and standing up. “I should really get going now though… I’m sure my roommates are going to worry if I don’t get home soon.”

_See you around Shinwon._

“Maybe,” he said, wandering back the way he came and giving one final wave at the shifter before he ducked back into the woods. He could have sworn he saw a shadow pass across the field, but when he looked up there was nothing in the sky except for clouds. He was getting paranoid.

It was nearly 3 pm when Shinwon wandered up the familiar trek of his driveway. The clouds had cleared up some and for the moment, his body was warmed by the sun’s rays. He was careful to open the door quietly; he didn’t want to wake Hyunggu or Hui if they were asleep. He wouldn’t be surprised if either or both of them were awake though - their sleep schedules were just as bad as his own. 

Sure enough, as soon as he had the door shut behind him, he heard Hyunggu’s voice calling his name from upstairs. “Be there in a minute,” he said. He didn’t bother shouting as he pushed off his shoes and hung up his jacket. The other could probably hear Shinwon breathing if he wanted to. 

He made his way up the stairs and then gently pushed the door to Hui’s room open; Hyunggu and Hui were sitting in a pile of blankets on Hui’s bed. Hui was yawning, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and his hair was sticking up in every direction making it obvious that he’d just woken up, while Hyunggu seemed to be wide awake and beamed as Shinwon walked in. 

“I didn’t wake you did I?”

“Nah, I couldn’t sleep, and I’m who woke up Hui. He told me to wake him up if he was asleep when you got back~” Hyunggu’s smile was warm and he waved at Shinwon to join them. 

Shinwon complied, crawling into the space between the pair and covering himself in the layers of blankets. Any worries he had evaporated for the moment, and he was just content to be with two of his favorite people. 

“So, what were you able to find out at Yanan’s?” Hui spoke, but his voice was still raspy with sleep and he slurred his words slightly.

“I dunno anything about the extent of my abilities, but I’m able to manipulate gravity. I only kinda understand it though, and it takes a lot out of me,” he yawned, as if on cue. The little demonstration he’d done for the shifter had taken its toll on him without him even realizing it. “I haven’t really figured anything else out though, so I’ll probs go back to Yanan’s more to have him help me.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I think Hyojong could probably be helpful too once you understand more about what you can do,” Hui said with a nod.

“Yeah. I’m gonna look at some of those books when I have the time and energy. Not right now though. I’m tired,” Shinwon buried his head in Hui’s shoulder and the other laughed.

“Then rest. You didn’t sleep well last night, right? And you’re probably exhausted from trying to use your magic. We’re not going anywhere, alright?” Hyunggu reached out, ruffling Shinwon’s hair. 

“Okay, okay. Resting.” Shinwon said, leaning back into the blankets and pillows. Hui laughed, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on his nose before curling up next to him and wrapping an arm around him. Hyunggu stayed sitting up, grabbing a book off of the bedside table to pick up where he’d left off, and Shinwon fell asleep to the soft sound of the other whispering to himself and turning pages.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BONK

The rest of February passed without incident as winter melted away into spring. Trying to get an understanding of magic was a rocky path for Shinwon, and between Yanan and Hyojong’s antics, he felt like he was a student again. Although both of them seemed to have an endless supply of patience for him, there were moments when something seemed to slip, and Shinwon would catch a glimpse of frustration and fear from Yanan. The other was trying his best to teach him, but Shinwon could see how worried he was. Changgu might not have been seen for weeks, but it was only a matter of time. That was what they were all telling themselves. 

He continued to plague Shinwon’s nightmares, each time trying to lure him away with promises of something greater and better. He always woke up in a cold sweat, terrified of what the other might do. The scariest part of it all was that he was beginning to feel his pull. Even in nightmares, Changgu could be damn convincing. 

Shinwon was making progress. He threw himself into everything that Hyojong and Yanan gave him, hoping that it would be enough. He’d managed to get a decent control on manipulating gravity; he didn’t have to desperately try to grasp onto that string of energy anymore. He was able to call it at will. Yanan drilled him on not only decreasing the gravity around him to make things float, but increasing it to the point that his surroundings were effectively pinned to the ground. As his body grew accustomed to the use of magic, it took less of a toll on him. He still felt the tug of exhaustion after particularly long days, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been at first.

As he had gotten more used to manipulating gravity, Hyojong had begun to teach him simple spells. He’d laughed when Shinwon said he felt like he was in _Harry Potter_ . Unlike the wizards in _Harry Potter,_ Hyojong explained, they didn’t need a focus like a wand to cast a spell. Wands could be used, of course, but he explained that most witches didn’t use them anymore. Shinwon began to fill the pages of a notebook with what he was taught. Hyojong mostly focused on teaching him earth based magic; he explained to him that manipulating gravity was a subsection of earth magic, and that with proper time and training, he would be able to learn how to manipulate the earth as well. He learned spells for making plants grow quicker, healing, heating things up, and even a simple levitation spell (although Hyojong told him that it would probably be more effective to manipulate gravity than try to levitate things). He tried to remember everything he was taught, filing it away in his brain even if it seemed useless to know for the time being.

Between being with Hyojong and Yanan to learn magic and going to work, Shinwon’s time was full of things to do. While he missed being able to laze around for full days constantly with Hui and Hyunggu, the others reassured him that it was fine and they knew how important this was for him. They both found plenty of ways to be around Shinwon, even when he was otherwise occupied. Sometimes it would be one of them showing up while Yanan was drilling him on his earth magic, offering to be a dummy for Shinwon to practice his magic on. At first he was hesitant, not wanting to accidentally hurt them, but after enough taunting and challenging, Shinwon was able to look past it, wanting to prove them wrong for the sake of it. While Yanan had worried that their presence might be a distraction, it proved to be a powerful motivator, and there were times that he even invited one or both of them himself.

He rarely slept in his own room anymore. If he wasn’t staying at Yanan’s place, he was usually in Hui or Hyunggu’s room. Occasionally, he’d drift off in the living room only to wake up in his own bed. Usually, he woke to a tangle of limbs. Yanan worked with him to make a potion that would help with his nightmares. It took a few tries, but eventually they were able to come up with something that worked. When he stayed at Yanan’s place, they grew accustomed to sleeping pressed together in that tiny bed. Sometimes Shinwon would wake up to Yanan gently stroking his hair, staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. Neither of them said anything about whatever was happening between them. Whatever it was, it still felt too fresh and too delicate. Shinwon had a feeling that he wasn’t the only one afraid of messing things up, even if Yanan wore a damn good mask.

He was finally starting to feel truly solid in his relationship with Hui and Hyunggu. Where he had been timid and afraid of being too much at first, he felt confident now. He’d known how much he loved the pair before, but it was as if the magic flowing through him increased his feelings tenfold. There were some nights that he’d get home, exhausted from training or working all day, and he’d see Hui and Hyunggu and everything else would just slip away, leaving only the three of them. Even if he woke up with only hazy recollections, he couldn’t deny that those nights were some of his favorites. 

By the time March rolled into April, Changgu had faded to the back of Shinwon’s mind. He hadn’t shown up in person or in his dreams in some time, and Shinwon was almost fool enough to think that maybe that was it. Maybe he finally decided to leave them alone. But he wasn’t a complete idiot. Every so often, he’d feel a wave of darkness pass over him. He’d be powerless under the complete terror that would take him over. If he was truly safe, he wouldn’t be so damn afraid. 

-

It was one of the rare nights that Shinwon had off from work and training, and he hummed in contentment as he sipped at his mint chocolate chip milkshake. He sat in a crammed booth with Hongseok, Jinho, Wooseok, Yuto, and Yanan. Wooseok was rambling about different types of frogs. Shinwon couldn’t remember how frogs had even come up, but all he knew was that the other had been telling the group all about them for the past five minutes with no sign of finishing. Yuto was listening eagerly, seeming happy to hear just about anything that might come out of the other’s mouth, and Yanan listened with a tilted head, taking in the information and filing it away for reasons unknown to Shinwon. Hongseok and Jinho were more focused on making eyes at each other - Shinwon didn’t even know that there was anything between them and he wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that his best friend and his manager were in a relationship. 

It was a rare moment when things felt almost normal again. 

Almost. Then he’d glance at the shake that Yuto was drinking or Jinho would bring up something the pack had discovered and he’d remember that the paranormal was the new normal. Although he’d had months to grow used to things and had adjusted pretty quickly, there were still moments when Shinwon would get whiplash, remembering that not even a year ago, he’d had no idea witches or vampires or shifters even existed. And now, here he was, sitting in a booth in a seedy diner with them. 

“Earth to Shinwon,” a hand waved in front of his face, causing him to blink, and he turned to face Hongseok.

“Sorry, I was kinda spacing out,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. A snicker came from Wooseok, and Yanan was staring at his plate like it was the most exciting thing he’d ever seen.

“I was asking since when you and Yanan were dating~” 

“I- what? We’re not-“ Shinwon stammered, his face heating up. 

“Oh? Coulda fooled me from the way y’all are always together and always looking at each other like you’ve just seen the most beautiful person in the world. What happened to Hui and Kino~” 

He knew Hongseok was just teasing to get a rise out of him. He knew the other meant no harm, but the implications of it still stung. He sighed. “It’s not like that, and you know it. Even if I was seeing Yanan, that wouldn’t change anything between me, Hui, and Kino.”

The table fell silent for a moment, everyone staring at Shinwon in surprise. He didn’t get irritable often, so he didn’t think about the fact that the others might be thrown off by his bluntness. 

“Forget about it. I need some air,” he said, shaking his head as he got out of the booth. He just needed a moment to cool down. He rarely got angry over teasing, and he wasn’t sure why it was getting to him so much, but hopefully some time to himself would help. Everyone at the table was silent as he walked outside. 

The night air was cool on his skin. It was early April, but for the past week it had been unusually warm every day. It was nice to feel the bite of the air for a change. He sat on a ledge that overlooked the street, letting his legs hang down and taking a deep breath. A lot of people were out now that it was getting warmer out, and there was a line forming outside of the bar across the street. He only had a moment though, because then he heard the door behind him swing open, the bell jingling loudly.

“Hey,” Yanan plopped down next to him, close enough that their shoulders bumped together. 

“Hey.”

“Are you alright?” Shinwon could hear the concern dripping off of the other’s voice. He hated making the other worry about him.

“I’ll survive,” he sighed, staring down at his shoelaces. He needed to get new ones. The aglets had since fallen off and they were beginning to fray at the ends as a result.

“Hey. I’m here if you need to talk, okay? If you want me to leave you alone, I can do that too,” Yanan said, lightly squeezing Shinwon’s knee. He was always so comforting. 

“I just. I dunno. I know Hongseok was only joking about what he said back there, but it really upset me. The way he said it makes me seem like some sort of player or cheat or something. He’s my best friend, and he’s been so for ages, but sometimes I feel like he’s not understanding. It was hard enough to try to get him to understand how Hui, Ggu, and I are all with each other. I don’t know how I’d even begin to get him to understand me caring about another person just as much as I care about them.” 

“If he’s your best friend, he’ll come around eventually. I think some people get so caught up in monogamy that they forget that it is in fact possible to love more than one person. Not even just possible, but completely normal if you ask me,” Yanan shrugged. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think you care about Hui or Hyunggu any less and… if you did decide to pursue anything with me, I wouldn’t be jealous of them either.” 

Shinwon looked up, staring at Yanan with wide eyes. 

“Sorry if I assumed wrong… I shouldn’t have said anything… you know what, forget I even brought it up-“ Yanan’s face turned red as he made a move to leave. Shinwon grabbed his wrist, keeping him from getting up and the other stared at him, seeming to hold his breath. 

Shinwon kissed him. 

Yanan leaned into the kiss, cupping Shinwon’s face with his hands. His lips were soft and it made his mind spin. He wanted him so badly it hurt, and he knew if he didn’t break the kiss soon, the likelihood of them going back into the diner would be very low. He hesitantly pulled back, resting his forehead against Yanan’s.

“I care about you so much. Sorry for putting off making any moves for so long,” he laughed.

“You know what… after that kiss, I think it’s safe to say the wait was worth it. Especially if I can expect more of that,” Yanan whispered.

“Oh, believe me, you’ll get much more than just that,” Shinwon grinned, giving Yanan another quick peck before pulling them both up. “Now let’s get back inside before they think someone kidnapped us~”

Yanan nodded, taking Shinwon’s hand in his before following him back into the diner. 

If the others noticed anything had happened, they did a good job of hiding it. 

“Nannie~ I stole a few of your fries, I hope you don’t mind!” Wooseok said as they slid back into the booth.

“You can have the rest of them, if you want. They’re not crispy enough for me-“ 

“Bet,” Wooseok said, reaching for Yanan’s plate and sliding the rest of the fries onto his own plate.

“Hey. Sorry for upsetting you,” Hongseok said, squeezing Shinwon’s shoulder.

“Your apology has been received. It may take 3-5 business days to process, but we will be sure to email you once it has been!” 

“Shut up,” he laughed, lightly punching Shinwon’s arm. “I can’t say I completely understand what you have going for you, but I’ll always be your hype man, got it? You’re stuck with me, kid.”

“Don’t kid me,” Shinwon said around a mouthful of his burger. He felt lighter though, and he was glad that everyone had settled into a comfortable conversation once again. 

After the group finished their meals, they decided to head to the bar. It wasn’t the same one that Shinwon had been staring at across the street from them. It was similar to the diner, tucked away in what seemed to be an obvious place while managing to still escape notice. It was called The Chalice and the outside of it was decorated to look intentionally like a tavern out of some sort of high fantasy film. The inside, however, was gaudily decorated, full of all sorts of posters and signs. One corner of the room held a small stage with a screen behind it and a handful of mic stands. The tables surrounding the stage had booklets of songs to choose from. 

Currently, a tall baby-faced boy stood on the stage, drunkenly belting out an old ballad that Shinwon couldn’t remember the name of. He glanced over to see Wooseok and Hongseok repressing laughs while Jinho balked at the boy, before sighing and shaking his head. “That kid is gonna be the end of me, I swear.”

“You know him?”

“He’s another shifter. Sometimes I forget he’s old enough to drink…” Jinho ran a hand through his hair. “I hope he at least came with someone.” 

The group of them wandered over to a booth in the corner of the room near the stage, skimming through the menus while the boy continued singing. Shinwon ended up ordering a cider and he had the feeling that that would be the only thing he ordered that night. He wasn’t really in the mood for drinking. He had other things on his mind - things he’d prefer to be sober for. 

Jinho and Hongseok immediately reached for the karaoke book and request sheets, flipping through it with determined expressions on their faces. Karaoke was never really Shinwon’s scene. It was fun to watch other people sing, but he didn’t really care to do it himself. If his friends wanted him to join in, he was always more than willing to, but usually he was content enough to be on the sidelines cheering them on. Yanan seemed completely out of his element, and Shinwon couldn’t help but smile at how confused the other looked.

“You don’t have to sing anything if you don’t want to, you know,” he said, reaching across the table and poking him on the chest.

“Do I really look that awkward?”

“Don’t worry, it’s endearing,” Shinwon said with a smirk.

“I’m glad you think so,” he plastered a sweet smile onto his face, stretching out and tangling one of his legs in Shinwon’s. “Are you gonna sing anything?”

“Me? Nah. Not unless someone asks me to, at least.” Shinwon shrugged, sipping out of his glass. 

“Aw, I wanted to hear you sing~” 

“There’s ways other than karaoke that you can hear me sing,” he replied without missing a beat. 

“Thank you, Sanha, for that lovely rendition of Open Arms by Journey,” came the MC’s voice as he reached into the pile of request cards on his table. “Next, we have Shinwon and-“ the MC faltered, his smile dropping for a moment, squinting at the paper he held before slowly swallowing. 

“I thought you said you weren’t singing anything?”

“I wasn’t planning on it. Besides, we just sat down, there’s no way I would have had the time to request anything-“ Shinwon whispered at Yanan, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. 

“Next, we have Shinwon and Changgu! Please make your way to the stage~” The MC’s smile was forced. Shinwon blinked, staring at the MC in confusion. Then he met eyes with the rest of his table. Their expressions ranged from horror to anger to fear. Shinwon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before standing up. 

“Shinwon-“ Hongseok reached out and grabbed his wrist, but Shinwon swatted it away.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t know what type of game he’s playing, but I have you all here with me. I dunno what he’ll do if I don’t go up there and play along.”

Hongseok’s hand fell away as he and the others watched as Shinwon made his way to the stage. Changgu stood up there, both mics in his hands, smiling innocently. Shinwon stared at the mic he held out to him for a moment as if it was poisoned, before finally taking it in his hand. 

“What are you trying to accomplish?”

“I dunno what you’re talking about! I just wanted to sing a song with someone~” Changgu said, grinning at him.

“Sure. Whatever.”

The music began playing and Shinwon turned his eyes to the screens with the lyrics. It could have been worse. At least Changgu had decent taste in music. He took a deep breath, beginning to sing the lyrics of the familiar song by _The Zombies,_ concentrating on keeping his voice steady. He refused to show any sort of fear. It felt like Changgu had planned this. He harmonized with Shinwon, and he was almost surprised at how smooth and sweet his vocals were. His voice was mesmerizing. On top of that, Shinwon could feel the all too familiar pull that he’d felt in his dreams. 

He forced himself to remain calm, backing away as Changgu danced towards him, singing the lyrics to the song with a huge grin on his face. It was like a game to the other. Shinwon would move away from him, trying to make it look like he was just dancing to the music as he sang along, and the other would continue to pursue him. Shinwon wasn’t sure if it was because he was already tense or what, but he was sure he could feel the static in the air and he was suddenly hyper aware of the energy that was flowing through him, in danger of spilling over the edge. He was on the edge of a panic attack. 

The end of the song couldn’t come soon enough. Shinwon let out a sigh of relief too soon. “I’d like to thank my good friend, Wonnie here, for putting on such a great performance of this song with me!” Changgu said into the mic, his voice smooth and practically dripping with charisma, although Shinwon could tell almost everyone in the bar was put on edge just by the other’s very presence. He watched as Changgu put his mic back into its stand in what felt like slow motion before making his way to him and planting a chaste kiss to his jaw, turning to leave the stage before Shinwon could even swat him away.

Shinwon stood there in stunned silence, watching as the other disappeared into the crowd, before he was aware of the fact that he was being pulled off the stage. He was vaguely aware of the MC clearing his throat and announcing that up next was ‘Toothless and the Tomcats’. His mind was hazy as he let himself be led out of the dining room and into the harsh LED lighting of the bathroom. He could hear someone talking. Maybe they were talking to him. His ears were ringing and he could feel his hands shaking as he tried to focus on the person in front of him.

“Shinwon, please say something,” Jinho’s voice was soft.

He blinked, surprised to see the smaller man in front of him rather than Yanan or Hongseok, and Jinho weakly laughed as he saw the confusion pass over Shinwon’s face. 

“Hongseok is busy trying to keep Yanan from committing homicide.”

“Would it be such a bad thing if he did-“ Shinwon’s throat stung, as if even speaking at all was all that his body needed before tears started pouring down his face in thick drops. 

“Hey. Right now, I’m more worried about you. I’m here for you, okay?”

Shinwon nodded, trying to take a deep breath. He wasn’t even sure how he’d managed to make it through the whole performance without cracking apart on stage and he wasn’t sure what was more terrifying: the fact that Changgu had managed to get so close to them without being noticed or the fact that his pull felt stronger in person than in nightmares. He wasn’t sure how to even describe it. He was terrified of the other, but it was like he was unwillingly being forced to submit to his will. It was different from compulsion. Shinwon knew that for a fact. He’d let Hui or Hyunggu compel him under multiple circumstances, and even though they had control over his actions, his thoughts and feelings were very much still his own. With Changgu, it was like he was fighting to get past any barriers in his mind and manipulate his very thoughts. He knew he could make others see illusions, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to do more than that, and if little by little, he was getting stronger. 

“Okay,” was all that Shinwon managed to get out, leaning back against the wall and letting himself slide down to the floor. He buried his head in his hands as he tried to will himself to calm down. Jinho sighed, sliding to the ground next to him before wrapping an arm around him and patting his shoulder.

“We all have your back, okay? Whatever Changgu is doing, we won’t let him win.” Jinho’s tone was authoritative and left no room for if’s or but’s. 

“I hope you're right,” Shinwon replied weakly. His mind was clearer now, but he was still a mess. He wrapped his arms around his legs to keep them from moving and with every breath, he could feel fresh tears threatening to spill over.

“You don’t need to talk if you can’t. I won’t leave you alone, got it? I’ll wait with you in here as long as you wanna.”

“Thank you.”

When the pair finally emerged back into the dim lighting of the dining room, Shinwon was still shaken. Jinho had frowned when he had stood up, suggesting to join the others again, eyes darting to his shaking hands, but he didn’t protest. Shinwon appreciated everything he’d done for him and the fact that he’d been there for him in a moment where he was vulnerable, but he didn’t want the others to worry about him. 

Yanan stood up from the table immediately when he saw Shinwon walking out with Jinho. For a moment, Shinwon was worried he would try to comfort him. Not that anything was wrong with that, but he was almost positive that any comforting gestures from the other could just cause him to crumble again. Instead, his mouth was turned into a frown. The other was pissed at Changgu and it was spelled all over his face. 

“Don’t let him play with you like that.”

“Yanan-“ Jinho raised his voice in warning, obviously worried about the other’s harshness, but Shinwon raised a hand, shaking his head.

“No, I wanna hear what he has to say.”

“None of this is your fault, okay? But you can’t just let him mess with you. If anyone touches you like that without you being fine with it, you have to stand up for yourself. If he does something like that ever again, don’t just let him get away with it, alright? And if you’re not comfortable doing or saying anything, call me. Call Hui or Hyunggu. Don’t just let it slide because you think it’ll be easier that way.” 

Shinwon nodded. Yanan’s bluntness wasn’t surprising to him, and he’d become accustomed to the other speaking his mind, even if the words came out harsh at times. His words held a truth to them. Shinwon knew that it was foolish to put himself in danger or let Changgu walk over him the way he did, so why was he still letting it happen. He was terrified of what the other might do to his friends and the people that he cared about, plain and simple. 

“You don’t have to worry about us. We believe in you and your abilities, so you should trust us as well. We’ve held our own against Changgu for this long, so what’s a little longer?” Jinho patted him on the shoulder. 

“You’re right. I guess that’s something I should work on. I’m too much of a worrier,” Shinwon laughed weakly.

“It’s okay to worry. It’s okay to be afraid. But know that we have your back no matter what.” Yanan spoke up again. 

“Okay,” Shinwon grabbed Yanan’s arm, following him back to the table. He took a sip of his cider but found that he no longer had an appetite for it, so he set the glass back down. Hongseok was staring at him with a concerned expression, and Shinwon just shrugged. Wooseok and Yuto were no longer at the table.

“They had to go. Yuto got pretty bad earlier, and Wooseok thought it would be best for them to just leave so that he could cool down,” Hongseok explained when Shinwon asked. He felt a pang of guilt. Everyone was worrying about him because he’d made a scene, but he knew that Yuto had a much darker history with Changgu. He couldn’t imagine what might have been going through the other’s head when Changgu strolled into the bar, acting like he wasn’t the most despised person in the room. 

“He’ll be fine. Our Wooseokie knows how to take care of him,” Jinho reassured. 

Shinwon nodded. He needed to stop blaming himself for everything. 

When the group finally decided to leave the bar, it was still early in their standards. It was close to 3, and most bars would have been closing by then, but for a group of people with messed up sleep schedules in a town that had weird hours all around, 3 am was nothing. Yanan walked with Shinwon back home, the pair settling into a comfortable silence. The group had tried to joke around and have fun for the rest of their time at the bar, but Changgu had done a pretty good job of killing everyone’s mood for the night. Still, it was nice to be alone with Yanan. His presence always had a way of grounding Shinwon. 

“I punched him.” Yanan abruptly broke the quiet, his voice cutting through the sound of their shoes against the gravel. 

Shinwon laughed, shaking his head. “That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

“I was out of my chair before Hongseok could do anything. I couldn’t help it. He had it coming.”

“And how did he take you punching him.”

“He didn’t flinch, which was expected. Still felt good to get it out of my system though. He did seem surprised that someone dared to stand up to him.”

“What would I do without you. My knight in shining armor, ready to defend my honor,” Shinwon reached for Yanan’s hand, giving it a squeeze as he smiled at him.

Yanan shrugged in response. “He doesn’t get to touch you like that.” 

“Hey, you don’t have to worry so much about me. I’m fine. He didn’t poison me or anything.”

“The gesture was deliberate though,” Yanan said, stopping and turning to face Shinwon. “Obviously you’ve been marked by both Hui and Hyunggu, but the fact that he did that was a deliberate show of possessiveness. He told everyone in that bar that you’re his.”

“Someone’s gonna have to break it to him that I’m accounted for already. I’m not anyone’s unless I choose to be. Sure, I made that choice with Hui and Hyunggu. I’d make that choice with you in a heartbeat too. But him? He can try to control me all he wants, but I will never be his.” Shinwon left no room for argument, and he seemed to have said the right thing because Yanan smiled at him.

“You’re one of the strongest people I know. I don’t doubt you in the slightest,” he said as he squeezed Shinwon’s hand and the pair began walking again. One of the best things about being around Yanan was the fact that neither of them felt the need to constantly fill any quiet that fell over them with words. Any silence was comfortable. Shinwon was more than happy to walk down the street with Yanan’s hand in his, listening to the sound of branches and gravel crunching beneath their shoes. 

It felt like they reached Shinwon’s home too soon. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him for the night yet. They paused in front of his front door. “I hope that we’re not counting that as a first date, because that was kinda crappy as far as first dates go.” 

Yanan laughed, shaking his head. “No, don’t worry. I’ll take you on a real date one of these days. A real, wonderful, drama-free date. We can see a movie like normal people.”

“I’d like that,” Shinwon smiled. 

“I’ll see you around, Shinwon,” Yanan leaned in close, his name barely coming out in a whisper before he pressed a soft kiss to his lips. 

“Goodnight, ‘Nannie. Lemme know when you get home,” Shinwon said, leaning his forehead against the other’s before pulling back from him. 

“Okay,” Yanan said, smiling softly before turning and walking back down the dark path of his driveway. Shinwon watched as he walked away, waiting until he disappeared into the darkness before turning to unlock his door and step inside. 

Hyunggu was laying on the couch, his nose buried in a book as a mug of tea steamed on the table next to him. He looked up and nodded at Shinwon, giving him a mischievous smile. He might have been invested in a book, but Shinwon was almost positive that the other had heard the whole conversation. 

He could hear music coming from Hui’s room as he made his way upstairs. It was a new melody, so Shinwon concluded that he’d probably finished the song he’d been working on for the past week. At least he’d managed to get out of the writer’s block he’d fallen into. Once he made it to his room, Shinwon unceremoniously flopped onto his bed. He was still wide awake, and he felt like he had enough energy that he would explode. He stared at his ceiling, counting the glow in the dark stars he’d plastered everywhere, waiting for sleep to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spare comments pls


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning that this entire chapter is nsfw 🤪🤪 If you’re not comfortable w/ that type of content just skip the whole chapter lmao sorry

Sleep didn’t come. 

Shinwon sat up in his bed, staring at the clock. It felt like hours had passed, but it’d only been a few minutes. He could still catch Yanan without problem. He stood up, quickly making his way down the stairs, trying not to trip over a pair of shoes that was misshappenly left there. He was sure he looked like a madman as he stumbled into the living room, but Hyunggu only regarded him with a mildly bored expression. 

“Are you gonna get the door?” 

“What?” 

“Yanan’s been standing outside for the past couple of minutes. He’s been debating whether or not to knock.” 

Shinwon turned to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open, meeting eyes with a wide eyed Yanan. He blinked, staring at the other in surprise and confusion for a moment. Then, everything else seemed to slip away. He pulled him through the doorway, giving him what was probably the sloppiest kiss he’d ever received.

“Do you-“ 

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” Yanan cut Shinwon off before giving him another kiss.

“I hope you don’t plan on leaving the front door open and letting in all the bugs-“ Hyunggu’s voice came from behind them. Yanan jumped, clearly not expecting the other’s presence, but Shinwon just shrugged, shutting the door and locking it. 

“Better?”

“Carry on,” Hyunggu settled back into the couch, opening his book where he’d left off at. 

Shinwon shook his head with a laugh before taking hold of Yanan’s hand and leading him upstairs. “Will this be a problem with-“

“Don’t ask stupid questions,” it was Shinwon’s turn to cut Yanan off. “You saw Hyunggu back there. They don’t care, so don’t worry so much.”

“But have you even had the chance to say anything to them?”

“‘Nannie,” Shinwon paused, turning to face the other. They stood partly up the stairway that led to the third floor. “They’ve been trying to get me to ask you out for months now. If anything, Hyunggu’s probably down there thinking ‘it’s about damn time’.”

Yanan just nodded, letting Shinwon lead him the rest of the way up the stairs. Once they stepped into his room, the sense of urgency fell away. As Shinwon turned to shut the door, Yanan walked around, poking through the odds and ends scattered about the room. It wasn’t a mess, but it wasn’t the most organized and Shinwon couldn’t help but feel a little bit self conscious. His desk had a couple stains from times he’d been too lazy to grab a coaster and he had a notebook left open where he’d been writing spells down as he was taught them. Along with the fantasy books he still held onto were books from Hyojong and even a couple that Yanan had lent him. He wasn’t a huge reader so it would take him time to get through them. While most of his laundry had made it into his hamper, there were a couple socks on the floor outside of it. Shinwon frowned, moving to put them away and Yanan laughed.

“What?”

“You’re worried about your clothes being on the floor,”

“I-“

“Shinwon, you realize that more clothes than just your socks are going to be on the floor, right?”

Shinwon blinked, thrown off by the sudden burst of confidence from the other. Then again, if Yanan wasn’t keeping to himself or being shy, he was usually being blunt or making some sort of snappy comment. It shouldn’t have been surprising, really. 

“Here,” Yanan said, casually pulling off his own shirt and tossing it onto the floor. “Now I have clothes on the floor too.”

This time, Shinwon couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. “I didn’t know you could be so smooth.”

“I only save it for the right people~”

“Lucky me,” Shinwon said, moving towards Yanan and leaning to kiss him. He squeezed his butt with one of his hands, earning a scoff from the other. He let his hands roam up Yanan’s back, feeling the smooth skin as he deepened the kiss. Sure, he’d slept tangled with him plenty of times and seen him in various stages of undress before, but this was different. Everything about Yanan was intoxicating, and as the other lifted his hands up to hook them around the back of his neck, Shinwon was almost positive he was using some sort of magic on him. Whatever it was, it seemed similar enough to what he usually did to help him fall asleep after a nightmare, except instead of making him tired, it took any edge or nervousness he had off of his mind. If Yanan really wanted to, he was sure he could reduce him to putty. 

Shinwon broke the kiss for just long enough that he could softly push Yanan onto the bed, before pulling his own shirt off and climbing on top of him, kissing him again. His lips were soft, and where Hui and Hyunggu were always careful and afraid of overwhelming Shinwon too quickly, Yanan dove right in. He tangled his hands in Shinwon’s hair, kissing him deeply before adding tongue and practically making his head spin. While he might have seemed shy at the surface, he was anything but that as he kissed Shinwon roughly. 

Shinwon moved away from Yanan’s mouth, slowly planting kisses along his cheek and then his jaw. He kissed the other’s neck, letting his tongue move across the soft skin there every so often, wondering if he enjoyed being kissed there as much as he did. From the way Yanan let out a soft sigh, tilting his head back, Shinwon was sure he did. Experimentally, he nipped at the skin there, soft enough that it wouldn’t leave a mark, but enough that Yanan cursed softly, tangling a hand in his hair. 

“By all means, don’t hold back for me.”

Shinwon moved his lips lower, planting a few kisses at the base of Yanan’s neck before biting down. This time, he sucked at the skin there, swirling his tongue in lazy circles until he let go with a soft pop. The mark he left would last for a while, and the corner of his mouth quirked into a satisfied smirk. He moved lower, still, peppering Yanan’s chest and torso with as many kisses as possible. He brushed his lips across the other’s nipples just light enough that it drove him wild. 

“Are you gonna keep teasing me all night?”

“I must say, it’s awfully tempting. I’m not usually in the position to do the teasing, so this is a rare opportunity.”

“Less talking, more kissing,” Yanan sighed, letting his head fall back into the pillows as he absentmindedly twirled a couple strands of Shinwon’s hair in his fingers. 

“You’ve got it, Boss.” Shinwon leaned down, trailing his lips over the toned muscle of Yanan’s stomach and leaving a couple more marks at his hips, before hooking his fingers in the waistband of his pants and boxers, looking up at him with a questioning expression.

Yanan stared at him, flushed even though they both knew full well what they intended from the start, but finally he nodded, giving Shinwon the confirmation he was waiting for. Shinwon grinned, before pulling the clothes off in what might not have been the smoothest motion. He wasn’t trying to win any awards though, and he grinned, hungrily taking in all of Yanan. “You’re so damn beautiful,” the words left his mouth in a whisper. He was beautiful, and here he was, sprawled out on Shinwon’s bed. He couldn’t help but just stare at him for a moment, taking in his smooth features and flushed skin. 

Then he leaned down, softly letting his lips brush against the tip of his dick. Yanan let out a hiss of frustration, fully prepared for Shinwon to continue teasing him with the lightest, most gentle possible touches, but it was short lived when he took him in his mouth, swirling his tongue in slow circles before he began to slowly move. 

“Holy shit”

He let go with a soft pop. “Nothing holy, just me,” he grinned, reveling in the way that the other squirmed at the loss of touch. 

“Don’t stop just to sass me, you prick,” Yanan groaned, moving to chuck an extra pillow at Shinwon. He laughed, putting his hands up to catch it, tossing it to the side before sinking back down between Yanan’s thighs. This time, he took him deeper into his mouth, testing his own limits and finding a pace that felt comfortable before he fell into a rhythm. By the way that Yanan gripped his hair and moaned softly beneath him, he could only hope he was doing well. Even though he wasn’t even receiving anything at the moment, Shinwon could feel himself straining against his pants, and he was almost positive that he could probably get off without Yanan having to lay a finger on him. There was something about making another person feel that way that made his head spin. He continued moving, letting the rest of the world drop away, focusing only on making Yanan feel as good as possible, and he would have been content to do that for the rest of the night, but then he felt Yanan pulling at him to stop.

Shinwon let go, wiping at the string of saliva mixed with pre-cum as Yanan pulled him into a soft kiss. “Not yet,” the other murmured, his voice filled with a hazy rasp, and Shinwon was suddenly flipped onto his back. He watched with wide eyes as Yanan hovered above him, waiting to see what he had planned. He didn’t hesitate in pulling off the rest of Shinwon’s clothes, but after he threw them onto the floor he paused, seeming to consider something. He nodded to nobody in particular, having made up his mind. 

A light flashed and Shinwon watched as Yanan drew out a stream of energy from thin air. It crackled and fizzed like lightning, but Shinwon knew from experience that it was more or less a restraint and wouldn’t cause him harm. He stared at the energy in confusion before realization seemed to settle and he nodded. “Go ahead.”

Yanan smiled. It was probably the sweetest smile he’d seen in his whole life. And then he was tying Shinwon’s wrists to the frame of the bed. His ankles were similarly bound. Yanan let him test the restraint, making sure that it was firm, but still comfortable. “Didn’t know you were into this type of thing,” Shinwon said with a grin, and Yanan just raised an eyebrow.

“Tease me all you want, but you had no complaints so I think it’s safe to say that you’re just as into it as I am.”

“Maybe so.”

“Shinwon.” Yanan’s voice was suddenly serious as he stared down at him. “I need you to tell me if you need me to stop alright. We should have a word just in case it’s too much for you to-“

“I think you’ll be surprised by what I can handle. Taro. I’ll say ‘Taro’ if I need you to stop.” Shinwon smiled softly. It was almost comedic. Here he was, the one tied up, and yet he was trying to be reassuring. 

“Why ‘Taro’?” 

“The last time I went to Adagio while you were working, you made me a taro milk tea,” Shinwon said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Yanan smiled, shaking his head. “Why are you so cute?”

“It’s a special talent of mine~” 

Yanan waited until Shinwon was laughing, unexpecting, and relaxed to make his move. He dipped his head down, taking the other’s dick into his mouth as deep as he could in one swift motion. Shinwon let out a gasp, his hips bucking forward as he strained against the restraints. He wanted to wrap his hands in Yanan’s hair so bad, but he was powerless to do anything as the other began moving his head quickly, not giving Shinwon any time to get used to it. The way he moved his tongue made him see stars, but he could barely formulate any coherent thoughts in his head as Yanan continued moving relentlessly. He’d already been hard enough without Yanan touching him, and at this rate he knew he wouldn’t last long. Every bob of Yanan’s head sent him hurtling closer, and he tried to cry out a warning, but the words were lost in a moan.

He didn’t need to say anything. It was like Yanan could tell exactly where he was, letting go and stopping right before Shinwon could slip over the edge and leaving him whining and squirming beneath him at the loss of contact.

Yanan clucked his tongue, smiling at him with that same sweet smile from before. “My, my. You were already so worked up before I even touched you, baby,” he leaned down, whispering in Shinwon’s ear softly. “Be patient, okay?” He kissed the spot behind Shinwon’s ear, and then began to leave a trail of kisses down his neck. “Hui and Kino might be able to control you with their venom, but I have other ways of keeping you obedient,” he lightly brushed against Shinwon’s nipple with his teeth, causing him to arch his back as a jolt shot through his body. “You can do that for me, right ‘Wonnie?”

Shinwon nodded quickly. He wanted nothing more than to please the other. Yanan didn’t have to even use magic on him to make him comply. He was more than willing to do anything the other wanted him to. 

“Good,” Yanan said before he began sucking on the same nipple he’d grazed against with his teeth. The barely audible pop when he finally let go was enough to drive Shinwon mad, and he whined at the loss of contact. Then, Yanan’s mouth was all over his other nipple, tongue swirling around it in dizzying circles while his other hand moved down to lightly tease at Shinwon’s cock. Every little brush of his fingers had Shinwon writhing beneath Yanan, desperate for more attention. 

The other responded by removing his hand altogether. 

Before Shinwon had the time to complain about the lack of touch, Yanan’s mouth moved down his body once again. This time, though, instead of feeling the other’s mouth around him, he felt the warm sensation of his tongue prodding at his entrance. He let out a whine as he instinctively tried to reach to tangle his hands in the other’s hair. His wrists strained against the bindings, and Shinwon wouldn’t be surprised if there were bruises left from how much he kept pulling against them. Part of him didn’t mind though. There was something about being marked by someone else that he couldn’t resist. 

He grinded his hips against Yanan, desperate to feel more, but it only led to Yanan firmly pinning him down to the bed to keep him from moving. He kept moving his tongue around in slow circles. So slow that it made Shinwon’s mind numb, barely teasing at his entrance. He was so close, but he felt like he needed so much more at the same time. He let out a gasp as he felt Yanan push his tongue deeper inside, the unfamiliar feeling almost enough to send him right over the edge. His dick twitched in warning and he felt a couple of beads of pre-cum drip onto his stomach. 

Yanan knew what he was doing though. Everything he did felt amazing, but he did it so slowly that it felt like it was an endless build up on Shinwon’s side. His mind was hazy as he tried to focus on Yanan being there with him, but his body screamed with need and he just wanted release. Yanan continued moving his tongue around, pushing deeper and then slowly pulling out completely before pushing in again. Shinwon tried his best to keep from moving around, but he couldn’t help but throw his head back and gasp when Yanan’s hand once again moved to his dick, lightly stroking it. He was too close. If Yanan didn’t stop soon, he was going to-

Yanan’s hand squeezed hard around him, earning a gasp as his body writhed beneath him in desperation. “Not yet, baby.” Shinwon nodded in understanding, trying to regain his composure and catch his breath as Yanan stilled above him, waiting patiently. He wanted to cum so badly, but he wanted to please Yanan even more. The other waited a few moments longer until he was sure that Shinwon had cooled down enough, before finally letting go of him.

Yanan leaned back down, leaving a trail of delicate kisses down Shinwon’s dick and then moving his lips over his thighs. He took a sharp breath as he felt the other bite down on the skin there, sucking long and hard enough that there was sure to be a bruise. Then, he slowly made his way back up Shinwon’s body, peppering kisses across his torso, shoulders and neck. He pulled away, scrutinizing Shinwon’s flushed state with an unreadable expression, and then he snapped his fingers. The bindings on Shinwon’s wrists and ankles fizzled away into the air.

“Flip over.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He rolled onto his stomach, wrapping his arms around the pillow in front of him as if it would somehow anchor him. He listened as Yanan rummaged around in the drawer next to his bed before pulling out a bottle of lube, flipping the cap open and pouring a small amount onto his fingers before setting it to the side and making sure his fingers were evenly coated. Then, Shinwon felt a slender finger prodding at his entrance. Carefully, Yanan pushed inside him, giving him time to adjust before working his finger deeper inside. When he began moving it, it was as if he was going out of his way to stop just short of his prostate every time. When Shinwon rolled his hips back, desperate for more, he earned a sharp slap to his ass. He cried out, his skin stinging where Yanan’s hand had met it, and he was almost positive that a pink hand shaped mark was left behind. 

“Remember what I said, baby? Be patient.”

“I’m sorry,” Shinwon said into the pillow, but it probably came out in a defeated whimper. 

Yanan began moving his finger again, giving it a few more steady pumps before he began to push in a second. Shinwon bit into the pillow, trying to keep another moan from escaping his lips. He pushed in about half way before pulling his fingers almost completely back out, but when he pushed them back in, he moved quickly, pushing them all the way in and hitting Shinwon’s prostate hard. He let out a yelp, his thighs shaking as he felt the familiar heat pooling in his stomach for what felt like the millionth time this time. Yanan repeated the motion, hitting the same spot just as hard.

“Yanan, ‘m too close,” Shinwon said frantically, as the other began to pull his fingers out, getting ready to thrust them in just as hard. “If you keep going, I’m going to-“

“No you’re not,” Yanan said firmly, his other hand reaching down to grip around him hard enough that it almost hurt. As if to provide emphasis, he shoved his fingers back in, hitting Shinwon’s prostate so hard that he saw stars. It was too much at once, and he felt tears threatening to escape his eyes. The next time that Yanan pulled out, he added a third finger. When he pressed in this time, however, he didn’t give Shinwon time to adjust. He slammed in all the way, making a scream rip out of Shinwon’s throat. 

“You’re doing such a good job, baby. Look at you,” Yanan cooed, “You’ve been able to hold on for this long. I’d say you almost deserve a reward for being so good and patient for me. What do you say?”

“Please,” Shinwon whimpered, his voice cracking as Yanan rammed his fingers in again. 

“Please what? What would you like from me?”

“Please fuck me. I need you. Please,” he tried to keep his voice steady as the other moved his fingers a few more times, but the tears that dripped onto the pillow beneath him betrayed his desperation.

“Okay. But I need you to hang on just a little longer for me, okay? Can you do that for me, baby?”

Shinwon swallowed before nodding quickly. 

“Good.”

Yanan’s fingers pulled out and Shinwon felt the weight shift on the bed as the other moved back. He listened to the sound of plastic tearing and heard Yanan let out a sigh as he rolled the condom on. Then he moved back towards Shinwon, roughly pulling his hips up so that he could position himself. He leaned down over him, pressing a few kisses over his back and shoulders, but then he was slowly pushing in. He pulled back out before he was even a third of the way inside before pushing back in deeper. He did this again, leaving Shinwon feeling empty and needy before plunging back in. Shinwon’s thighs shook as he fought the urge to go limp into the bed, but with the way Yanan gripped his hips, he knew he couldn’t collapse even if he wanted to. 

Yanan began to move more steadily inside of him, slowly building up a rhythm and letting out a hiss every time Shinwon clenched around him. He hit his prostate and Shinwon bit his own lip hard enough to draw blood as he tried to keep from crying out. He didn’t have the time to regain composure because Yanan kept hitting him there consistently. He could feel a thick line of pre-cum dripping from his cock and onto the bed below, and every time the other slammed into him, he thought it would be too much. 

“Please, please, please,” the words left his mouth in an almost unintelligible stream of moans as he begged.

“Not yet, baby. You gotta wait for me, okay?” Yanan’s voice was soothing, and the feeling of his breath against his neck sent shivers down Shinwon’s spine. 

“‘M trying, but I’m so close.”

“Just a little longer. I promise,” it was barely a whisper. Shinwon nodded, wrapping his arms around the pillow in front of him tighter. Instead of continuing to move, Yanan pulled out completely, gripping onto Shinwon and flipping him over before pulling him into his lap. “I wanna see your face,” he said as an explanation, moving to cup Shinwon’s face with one of his hands as he gently wiped the tears off his cheek with his thumb. “You’re beautiful, baby.”

Shinwon leaned into his gentle touch with a sigh, before dipping down to bring Yanan into a deep kiss. He felt the other’s hands travel down his back before gently taking his hips and guiding him. Shinwon let himself slide down onto Yanan, moaning into the kiss before gripping onto his shoulders to steady himself. He began moving, rolling his hips against Yanan as he fought to keep composure. Between the feeling of the other inside of him the way that his cock rubbed against Yanan’s stomach, it was mind numbing. Yanan’s hands moved all over Shinwon’s body as he continued to kiss him, his tongue trailing over his lips before he dipped his head away to begin sloppily kissing at the crook of his neck. 

Shinwon hissed at the feeling of the other’s lips against his skin. “Careful,” he warned, and any other words he meant to say were lost in a moan as Yanan softly bit his neck. He felt himself twitch, threatening to spill over the edge, and he stopped moving his hips as the other continued to move his lips against his neck. “Please, Yanan, I-“

Yanan’s lips stopped, his hands moving down to grip Shinwon’s hips. It was the only warning he had before the other thrusted into him hard, causing his mind to spin. “Do you want to cum?” He kept moving and Shinwon fought to grip onto his shoulders for balance as he felt his body threaten to go limp in the other’s arms. 

“I- yes,” he managed, trying to keep his voice from breaking as the other hit his prostate repeatedly. 

“You’ve been very good. I think you’ve earned it,” Yanan whispered against his neck. His own movements were becoming sloppier and more sporadic, and although he’d managed to keep his voice steady thus far, Shinwon could tell he was close from the way his cheeks flushed and the way that his grip on his hips kept growing tighter. 

Shinwon swallowed, rocking his own hips while Yanan continued moving, pulling him into a tight embrace as he tangled his hands in his hair. He could feel his thighs shaking as he continued moving, warmth flooding through his stomach and threatening to pour over. He felt himself still trying to hold back, wanting to draw out the moment for even longer. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. It’s okay,” Yanan’s voice was soft as he tilted his head up to place a delicate kiss along Shinwon’s jaw. 

He was about to slip over the edge. He tilted his head down to capture Yanan’s lips in his own as he gave his hips a few final rolls before the orgasm that had been building endlessly finally shot through his body. He let out a cry, clinging onto Yanan as his whole body tensed around him. The feeling must have been enough for the other because he cursed, gripping onto Shinwon hard enough that he was sure he’d bruise. Yanan clung to his hips, pounding into him a few more times as he came, and every brush of him against his prostate had him writhing from the overstimulation. 

As Yanan slowed his movements, he cupped his hands around Shinwon’s jaw, pulling him in for a deep kiss. Shinwon sighed into it, feeling himself relax in the other’s arms as the waves of overstimulation began to pass enough that he could think. He broke the kiss, trying to catch his breath as he stared at Yanan with a bewildered expression. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m great. That was great,” Shinwon managed, shakily reaching out to ruffle the other’s hair. 

“You did a good job, ‘Wonnie,” Yanan murmured, pressing a kiss against Shinwon’s cheek and a couple more on his neck. 

Shinwon couldn’t help but beam under the praise and he grinned, leaning down to kiss Yanan’s nose before he carefully pulled himself off of the other. “Come on. Let’s clean up so we can go to bed,” he moved to stand up. His legs were still shaky and he almost lost balance. Yanan appeared beside him just as quickly, helping him stay standing as he shook his head with a scoff.

“Let me take care of you, you idiot,” he laughed, picking Shinwon up in his arms. “Where’s your bathroom?”

Shinwon pointed towards the door near his bookshelf, letting himself be carried into the room. “My hero. I dunno what I’d do without you~” He buried his head in the crook of Yanan’s neck, letting his eyelids flutter shut. 

“Probably be eaten alive or something,” his tone was matter-of-fact and Shinwon just shook his head with a laugh. 

“You’re probably right. Guess I’m glad I have you then. My noble protector~”

“Hush.” 

Shinwon was content to listen to the sound of Yanan turning on the water of the bathtub, running his fingers under the faucet absentmindedly to test the temperature before he lifted him in. The feeling of the warm water around them was relaxing, and Shinwon practically melted into the other’s arms as he moved his hands over his body, lathering soap in. He suspected he was using magic too, feeling the slight pulse of energy flowing from Yanan’s fingertips to spread out across his limbs, soothing his muscles.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Yanan’s movements paused as he looked at Shinwon with a raised eyebrow.

“You know. They’re not gonna let you just leave. They’re probably gonna try to cook breakfast for you. They might even try to get details outta you. They’re nosy.” 

He could see Yanan’s skin visibly heat up in embarrassment. “I almost forgot they were here. They have super hearing , they could probably hear everything. Goddess, I can never look at them again-“

“I hate to break it to ya,” Shinwon held back a laugh, “but I don’t think they would have needed vampire hearing to hear everything. We weren’t exactly quiet.”

Yanan rested his head on Shinwon’s shoulder, his ears turning pink. “This is so embarrassing. How are you not flustered at all?”

Shinwon shrugged. “I dunno. None of us really go out of our way to hide that type of thing from each other. I don’t have their ears but I’ve heard them with each other plenty of times. Hui’s not exactly quiet, y’know. I kinda just stopped being self conscious about that type of thing because I realized that we’re all together and it doesn’t really matter that much if they hear me,” he paused, considering for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, it was awkward as hell at first when I realized they had super hearing and could most definitely hear me anytime I did stuff with myself. Hyunggu teased me about it a lot because he thought it was cute how embarrassed I was. They might tease you, sure, but believe me when I say Hyunggu especially would probably wax poetic about how sex is nothing to be ashamed of and blah blah blah,” he laughed, patting Yanan’s head.

“That’s fair, I guess. Still feels kinda weird though.” Yanan met Shinwon’s eyes with a small pout. It was almost comedic and he found himself shaking his head with a grin. “What?”

“Your duality is truly amazing.” 

Yanan reached out, flicking him on the forehead. “Shut your face,” he laughed weakly, but he’d seemed to relax some. 

The pair finished cleaning up before climbing out of the bathtub. Shinwon felt more steady now, but he let Yanan continue to pamper him, relaxing as the other insisted on drying him off. Once back in his room, Shinwon pulled out a pair of pink sweats he didn’t remember buying and a soft blue shirt, handing them to Yanan to put on, before pulling on clothes of his own. He muttered a spell under his breath, lighting a couple of candles that sat on his windowsill, before turning to Yanan. “I’m just gonna get some of your tea to drink. Do you want anything?” 

Yanan had plopped down onto the bed, cross legged, pursing his lips as he considered for a moment before shrugging. “Just a glass of water, please.” He finally said.

“Aye aye,” Shinwon said, before turning and making his way downstairs. He was thankful for the other’s magic as he went down the stairs. If it weren’t for it, he wasn’t sure if he would have even been able to make it all the way downstairs, let alone going back up after. 

Hui had since joined Hyunggu on the couch. Gunshots echoed from the tv, and the pair looked up from where they were wrapped in their blankets as Shinwon made his way through the living room. “Whatcha watching?” 

“Cloud Atlas,” Hui said.

“Never heard of it-“

“It’s a really good book! You should read it,” Hyunggu piped up as he reached for a handful of popcorn. He always complained that human food gave him a stomach ache, but that didn’t stop him from snacking. 

“I’ll consider it. I have too many books to read though,” Shinwon laughed, thinking about the growing stack of books from Yanan and Hyojong. “Right now I’m more focused on getting to bed,” he stretched his arms out, yawning as he continued to shuffle into the kitchen. He filled the kettle with water before pressing his hand against it and focusing on the flow of magic, sending the energy through the kettle to heat it up. Convenient, maybe, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to it. Still, Hyojong had insisted he practice every opportunity he had once the pair of them had discovered that Shinwon could access fire easily. Soon enough, the water inside was boiling, and he pulled his hand away from the surface as he poured it into a mug with the tea from Yanan. Then he pulled out a glass, filling it halfway with ice cubes before pouring water in - just the way the other preferred it. Mug and glass in his hands, he began to make his way back upstairs. 

“Hey guys?”

“Hm?” Hui and Hyunggu looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“Try not to overwhelm Yanan too much when we wake up.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))

When Shinwon woke up, the sun was high in the sky. He rolled over, letting out a sigh as he looked at the clock. It was already past 2 pm. Then again, they hadn’t gotten home until late, and they’d been up even longer, so he deserved the rest. Usually, Yanan woke up earlier than he did, but the other was still snoring softly beside him, his hair sticking up in every direction. Shinwon couldn’t help but smile, softly moving his hair out of his face. He was cute when he slept. He settled back down, wrapping an arm around Yanan and burying his face in his back, letting his eyelids shut again. He didn’t wanna get up yet, but he’d have to eventually. For the time being, he was content to be snuggled up to the other. 

Yanan let out a sigh, and Shinwon felt his weight shift as he moved to roll over, turning to face him before blearily opening his eyes, blinking at him as if he were still in a dream. Slowly, a smile crept to his face and he leaned in, kissing Shinwon softly. “Good morning,” he whispered.

“It’s actually well past two, but morning,” Shinwon laughed, placing a kiss on his nose. 

“Ugh, is it really? I’m still tired,” Yanan sighed, pouting. 

“I can make you some coffee. I think we still have some of your fancy stuff anyways-“

“What would I do without you?”

Shinwon grinned, stretching out his limbs before pushing himself out of the bed. Yanan didn’t so much as climb out of bed as roll out of bed. He laid on the ground for a moment, his face scrunching as he yawned, and then he finally pulled himself up. 

As the pair made their way downstairs, Shinwon could already smell coffee brewing. He didn’t even have to look at him to know that Yanan was tensing up next to him, already nervous about having to talk to Hui and Hyunggu. “Relax,” he whispered, giving the other a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

“I’m trying.”

As they wandered into the kitchen, Shinwon could hear Hyunggu humming to himself. Hui was sitting at the table, typing away at something as he sipped from a mug. “Morning, sleeping beauties~” Hyunggu beamed, looking up at them both with a grin.

“It’s not really morning but-“

“Shut up and drink your coffee,” he said, turning around and handing them both mugs. “Cream and sugar’s on the table, help yourself to as much as you like,” Hyunggu directed his attention at Yanan, who just nodded, muttering a quiet thanks. “Oh! Do you guys want anything to eat? I debated just cooking something, but I wasn’t sure what type of food ‘Nannie would want, so I decided to just wait instead!”

“You know me, I’ll eat whatever,” Shinwon shrugged.

“I’d kill for an omelette right now,” Yanan said after a moment of thought.

“No killing necessary for this one! Hang tight while I make you the best damn omelette you’ll ever have,” Hyunggu grinned. 

As they slid into chairs at the table, Hui looked up and smiled at them. Shinwon might not have been able to read minds or read people, but he knew that the other wanted to say something. He shot him a warning look, earning a pout and a shrug. The three of them sat at the table in silence, sipping their coffee and listening to Hyunggu sing as he cooked. Shinwon could practically feel the anxiety radiating off of Yanan. He wasn’t sure what would be worse: sitting through an uncomfortable silence because Yanan was flustered or sitting through Hui’s teasing. 

“Hey.”

“Hm?” Yanan jumped at the sound of Shinwon’s voice.

“You’re fine, okay? Hey Hui,” the shorter looked up from his laptop, tilting his head, “do you care that me and Yanan are together now and fucked last night?”

Yanan almost spit out his coffee, his face turning bright red. Hui broke out into laughter. “It’s about damn time, if you ask me,” he said, with a shrug. He reached out, holding his hand in front of Yanan until the other hi-fived it. 

“‘Ggu? What about you?”

“I can’t read minds word for word, but I knew exactly what was gonna happen when he came running back last night. I’m happy for you guys, even if you’re both oblivious fools,” he grinned as he flipped an omelette in his pan. 

“See? Nothing to be ashamed of, alright?” Shinwon turned to Yanan. The other was still red, clearly embarrassed by his bluntness, but some of the tension had gone from his body.

“Alright,” he said, his voice quiet.

“Can I kiss you, or is that too much?”

“My brain might stop functioning if you do that right now.”

“That’s fair,” Shinwon laughed, reaching out to ruffle the other’s hair. 

Hui was staring at them both with wide eyes, unable to keep the smile from his face. 

“What?” Yanan asked.

“You guys are the actual cutest,” he said, resting his cheek in one of his hands. From the kitchen, Hyunggu scoffed. 

“That’s my title.”

“My bad. Hyunggu’s the actual cutest. You guys are a close second though.”

“Damn right,” he said, holding his spatula threateningly.

“Can’t argue with that,” Yanan said, raising an eyebrow as he took another sip of coffee.

Satisfied with his creations, Hyunggu joined them at the table, sliding plates in front of Shinwon and Yanan. The omelettes were enormous, but it was a good thing because Shinwon didn’t realize how hungry he was until he took that first bite. Hyunggu was without a doubt the best cook in the house, and arguably one of the best cooks he knew. He didn’t need to know how to cook since he didn’t really need human food, but he enjoyed it. He said it was fun to make and discover new things, even if it didn’t have much nutritional value for himself. Hui didn’t bother cooking for the most part since he didn’t really need to, and it wasn’t that Shinwon himself was opposed to cooking; he was just bad at it. Very bad. Hyunggu had managed to show him how to make a few different dishes, but for the most part, if he was making something for himself it probably came in a box or a cup. 

Yanan practically inhaled the omelette, his face lighting up after the first bite. “For a vampire, you’re really good at making people food,” he said in between bites, looking at Hyunggu with wide eyes.

“Told you it’d be the best omelette you’d had.”

“I didn’t doubt you, but this is really on another level,” he shoved another bite into his mouth, sighing in delight. 

As the rest of them fell into a comfortable banter, Shinwon felt his phone going off in his pocket. He pulled it out, expecting it to be ringing, but instead it was just a flurry of messages from Hyojong.

**Dawn:** No practice tomorrow.

**Dawn:** Change of plans!

**Dawn:** Same time next week, instead.

**Dawn:** Not at my place though.

**Dawn:** Sanctuary !!

**Won:** k but why?

**Dawn:** Top secret ;)

He sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“What was that about?” Yanan asked, clearly having been peering over his shoulder.

“Dunno. Hyo just cancelled practice for tomorrow and told me to meet him at the sanctuary next week instead. He didn’t tell me why though. Do you know?”

“Not a clue,” the other replied, raising his mug to his lips as he gulped down the rest of his coffee. 

“The sanctuary? That’ll be interesting,” Hui said, his eyebrows scrunching together as he considered it.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I just don’t know what he’d have to bring you out there to teach you, when you’ve been able to do everything else just fine at his or Yanan’s.” 

“I already have a bad feeling about this. He’s definitely gonna make me do something weird.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll be fine,” Hyunggu said with a laugh.

-

When Shinwon stepped out into the familiar clearing, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Hyojong had been vague with his text, and when Shinwon had continued questioning him on it over the course of the week, he’d refused to give further explanation. It left him wondering what he had in store for the day. He’d gotten comfortable enough with gravity manipulation, although Hyojong still insisted that he had tons to learn and he had no doubt that he was right. As for the rest of his magic, they’d been able to get away with practicing anything that might be too destructive in Yanan’s pocket dimension. 

“Yo!”

Shinwon met eyes with a vaguely familiar figure from across the field. He was sure he’d never seen the guy before. He was lanky and had faded orange hair that stuck up in every direction as if he’d just been laying in the grass. He was clad in a flannel shirt and patched up jeans, and a pair of glasses sat slightly crooked on his face. Shinwon stared at him, trying to figure out why he was feeling a strong sense of deja vu. 

“Sorry,” he laughed as he jogged over to meet him, “I never got the chance to properly introduce myself the last time we met. I’m Mingi. I’m the lion guy.”

“Oh,” Shinwon took his hand in his, shaking it hesitantly, “I remember you. I knew there was something familiar about you,” he laughed. 

“Heard Hyojong has something exciting planned for you today.”

“Do you know what it is? I’m confused about why I had to come out here…”

“I’m sworn to secrecy. I’m just a bystander!” The grin that Mingi shot at him was unnerving. It was an  _ oh, you have no idea buddy  _ type of grin. 

“Right…” 

It was nice enough outside. The warmth of the sun on Shinwon’s skin felt good. There was barely a cloud in the sky and there was only a slight breeze, which was why he was confused when he heard a sudden rush of wind. He turned around, looking towards the noise, but saw nothing except for leaves that had been disrupted from their places floating through the air. He heard a few branches snap and a loud ‘heck’ before he saw the familiar figure of Seonghwa swing down from a tree.

“Uh…”

“Where’s Hyojong? He told me to meet him here,” Seonghwa asked, looking between Mingi and Shinwon in confusion. “What are you doing here?” 

“What the hell is he plan- why were you in a tree?”

“Hm? Oh… I was trying to be discreet with my landing-“

“Your landing? You know what, never mind. Apparently he knows what Hyojong is up to though,” Shinwon shrugged, pointing at Mingi with his thumb. 

“Which is… what exactly?” 

“He told me not to tell either of you.”

“This’ll be good,” Seonghwa said deadpan. 

As if on cue, Hyojong emerged from the woods. He had his hair pulled back into a half ponytail and wore a… Shinwon couldn’t help but snicker at the floral jumpsuit that Hyojong was clad in. Then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn’t even the weirdest thing he’d seen the other wear. 

“Glad you could all make it out here!” He beamed. 

“So what are we doing?”

“Well, you’ve gotten good at manipulating gravity with areas and objects. I thought it was time we take it a step further…”

“Okay? And what’s this plan of yours, exactly?”

He saw Seonghwa sigh next to him, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “You’re joking right. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Mingi thought it was neat-“

“Mingi’s not the one who’s putting someone else’s life at risk.”

Hyojong slapped the taller on the back. “You have good reflexes. I know you won’t let anything happen to him.”

“That’s why you were being vague, wasn’t it. You knew I wouldn’t agree.”

“Agree on what? I’m still here,” Shinwon interjected. “Is my life going to be at risk? What do you want me to even do? I feel like I’m the only one who still doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right,” Hyojong grinned, unphased by Seonghwa’s irritation. “So manipulating gravity. Have you ever tried doing it on yourself?”

“What. Like flying? No. I’m sure I could make myself float, but I don’t know if I would be able to control how I move in the air. That’s ridiculous. Besides, you know I’m afraid of heights.”

“I think you could do it if you set your mind to it.”

“And how is Seonghwa involved in this?”

Hyojong gave him a toothy smile. “You’ve going to do some skydiving.”

“Absolutely not.”

-

Shinwon wasn’t sure how he let himself be convinced into this. He couldn’t even be excited about the fact that he was staring up at a dragon.  _ A dragon, for fuck’s sake.  _ But no, because Hyojong’s master plan was absolutely insane, and he had let himself be pressured into agreeing. 

_ I won’t let anything happen to you, got it? For what it’s worth, I think you can do it.  _

“If you believe in me, then why did you seem so uncertain before?” Shinwon grumbled, absentmindedly running a hand along the smooth scales that coated Seonghwa like armor. Part of him still wasn’t wholly convinced that any of this was real.

_ It’s not that I’m lying, okay? It’s just that… _

A pause.

_ I dunno. Even if I believe in you, the what if’s are still scary. The idea of something bad happening is scary. _

“Thanks for the pep talk. Real comforting.”

“Hey. You made me float easily. I’m sure it’ll be a piece of cake to do to yourself,” Mingi shot him a thumbs up. 

“Whatever,” Shinwon sighed, and then he was climbing onto Seonghwa’s back. 

_ My scales are thick. You don’t have to be so careful. Your sneakers aren’t nearly enough to hurt me. _

He didn’t have to hear the tone of voice to know that the other was laughing at him. Still, he climbed the rest of his way, clinging to the other. Hyojong had suggested a rope or something for Shinwon to hold onto and Seonghwa hadn’t hesitated to shut him down. “I don’t give people lifts. I’ll help him, but I’m not being saddled like a fucking animal.”

It had been a fair enough point that Shinwon had more than readily agreed with, but once on his back, he wasn’t so sure. His scales were smooth and there wasn’t really all that much for Shinwon to grip onto. Really, he was at Seonghwa’s mercy. 

“Hyojong…”

“Hm?”

“If I die, I’m gonna kill you.”

“How are you gonna- you know what, I don’t wanna know. Remember. He’ll catch you if anything happens, and if not, I’ll use air magic to keep you safe.”

“I hate this.”

And then Seonghwa was standing up, spreading out his wings. Shinwon wrapped his arms around his neck, squeezing his eyes shut. There was no turning back now. He felt air rush around him as the other gave several beats of his wings, and then he felt his stomach drop as they began to rise in the air. It was the same sensation as being on a rollercoaster, except this was decidedly much less fun. 

_ Shinwon. Simmer down. Literally. You’re gonna burn me. _

He cracked open an eye, aware of the flow of energy that he’d unintentionally let escape through his hands. His fingers were red against Seonghwa’s scales. He quickly let go of the energy, watching his hands return to their normal tone and swallowing. Hesitantly, he looked around them. They were well above the treeline, a couple of wisps of clouds drifting past them. It was beautiful until Shinwon looked down, well aware of the fact that the clearing appeared to be more of a speck and their friends so small that they melded into their surroundings. 

“Why did you have to take me so high?”

_ More room for you to figure out how to float before I need to catch you.  _

“That makes sense, I guess… still,” he sighed. He could feel his arms shaking and his head was spinning. The idea of freefalling through the air without so much as a cord or parachute made his stomach churn. 

_ Take your time, alright? _

“Y’know? Death by jumping off of a dragon would be much preferable to death by Changgu.” His laugh bordered on hysterical as he tried to prepare himself for the inevitable. 

_ You’re not gonna die. I move much quicker than you think.  _

Shinwon nodded. “Okay. Okay okay. I can do this, I can do this. It’s fine. I can do this.” He looked at the ground again and had to quickly grip onto Seonghwa when his vision spun. He couldn’t do this. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and willing himself to calm down, but every nerve in him was on edge. Why did he have to have gravity manipulation magic? Why couldn’t he control water instead. At least then, he could be swimming or something instead of about to send himself hurtling through the air on the off chance that he might be able to make himself float. But no, he had to be stuck with gravity manipulation. “Seonghwa?”

_ What? _

“If I don’t make it outa here, tell Hui and Hyunggu I love them.”

_ You’re not going to die you id- _

Seonghwa’s sentence cut off midway as Shinwon let go, dropping backwards off of him. Every organ in his body felt like it rushed into his throat, and even though the wind rushed loudly past him as he plunged down towards the earth, all he could hear was the sound of his heart beating in his ears. He closed his eyes, willing the familiar string of energy to come his way and grasping onto it tightly like a lifeline. This time, instead of channeling it into his surroundings or the ground, he forced it into himself, until he was almost positive he could feel it flowing through his veins. He felt the wind quiet as his descent slowed, and he could feel a gentle breeze blow through his hair. He cracked an eye open. He was suspended in midair, still above the treeline. It was a similar sensation to floating in water.

“Holy shit,” he whispered, although he knew nobody else could hear him. Above him, he saw the silhouette of Seonghwa peering down at him.

_ Just a second longer and I woulda come down to catch you. _

“Holy shit,” Shinwon said again, this time louder. “I did it… I did it!” He began laughing, his body relaxing. “Seonghwa, I did i-“ his words fell short as he felt his grasp loosen on the energy before it slipped away entirely and he was freefalling again. He let out a cry, and he saw the shifter dive down towards him as he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the hard impact of the earth.

Nothing happened. He opened his eyes. He was suspended in air again, although this time he was much closer to the ground and it was most certainly not his own magic’s doing. Instead of the weightless floating he’d felt when he used his own, he felt like his body had been fixed to that point and paused there. He couldn’t even turn his neck to look at Hyojong, but he heard the other curse under his breath. If it wasn’t his magic that had saved Shinwon then whose magic was it?

“Kim Hyojong, what the everliving fuck do you think you’re doing?” A woman’s voice called out from across the meadow. Shinwon tried to crane his neck, but it was no use. He was completely frozen in place.

“Teaching him how to fly, obviously,” Hyojong said in a matter of fact tone.

“By making him jump off of a dragon?”

“Birds learn how to fly by-“

“He’s a  _ person,  _ Hyojong.  _ A person. _ Not a bird.” A heavy sigh, and then Shinwon felt the magic release off of him as he dropped the rest of the way down and into a pair of arms. He blinked, looking up at the woman who held him. “Hello, love.”

“Love… I… uh… hello,” Shinwon stammered, his mind still spinning from everything that had happened up to that moment as he tried to process what was even happening. The woman set him down, holding onto his shoulder until she was sure he had his balance. Her eyes were a deep red-brown and she stared at him with curiosity.

“It’s about time we met,” she said without missing a beat. “I’ve heard all about you, Ko Shinwon. Maybe with me, you can get some proper training in magic.” 

Hyojong sulked next to them and Shinwon was vaguely aware of Seonghwa landing nearby before shifting back into his human form, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the woman in front of him. He was positive he’d seen her somewhere before. It wasn’t the vague sense of deja vu he’d had when he first saw Mingi’s human form. He didn’t know the woman’s name, but he  _ knew  _ her face. He just couldn’t sort out his mind enough to figure out how he knew her.

“I’m Hyuna. I’m who taught Hyojong here and Yanan everything they know how to do.”

“Love you too,” Hyojong interjected, earning a sigh from the other. 

“I’m also Hyojong’s partner. Happy?” She stuck out her tongue at Hyojong. He tried to hold his pout, but it slipped away as his face broke into a grin. 

“I’ve missed you.”

“I know.” 

With the mention of Yanan, realization flowed through Shinwon. The painting in his living room. He’d said it was an old friend. It was Hyuna. She was his mentor. She looked almost exactly the same as she did in the painting, save for the fact that she wore modern clothing. Her hair hung past her shoulders in the same messy curls, the deep color of it contrasting with the light colors she wore, namely the soft yellow sun hat that sat atop her head. She looked like she’d just gotten back from a vacation. She was absolutely stunning.

He watched as she turned away from Hyojong to face Mingi. “Thank you for keeping an eye on this place for me while I was away. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble~”

“None at all~” He smiled.

“Although, I don’t appreciate you allowing these two to do something so foolhardy here. Someone could have died,” she still had an easygoing smile on her face, but Mingi shrinked back.

“Sorry about that. I guess we were both too confident in Shinwon’s abilities,” he trailed off.

Hyuna clapped a hand on Shinwon’s back hard. “Now don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I didn’t think you could do it, but it’s better to ease yourself into new things when magic is concerned, got it? No flinging yourself from high places and hoping you’ll be able to make yourself float. I saw what you did back there and it was impressive, but I have more effective ways we could teach you to fly.” Her voice was comforting and Shinwon felt any doubt he previously had slip away.

“In my defense, I didn’t even wanna do this. I’m afraid of heights.”

Hyuna turned to Hyojong, frowning at him. “You tried to teach someone to fly when they’re afraid of heights? Goddess, I can’t believe I fell for you,” she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“But you did, and you’re stuck with me forever,” he grinned. 

Hyuna sighed and made a look of disgust but she couldn’t hold it as it slipped away into a huge grin. Shinwon couldn’t help but wonder how long it’d been since the pair had seen each other. Even when they were bickering, they looked at each other as if the other person held the entire universe in their being. It was mesmerizing. 

“I think that’s enough training for the day. Sorry for uh. Traumatizing you.” Hyojong scratched the back of his neck, shooting Shinwon a sheepish smile. 

“I’ll consider forgiving you. I’m gonna go home and contemplate life. Have fun getting destroyed by your partner,” Shinwon said, ducking away before the other could reply with anything else. He heard Hyojong scoff and Hyuna snicker.

He might have almost fallen to his death, but for a second it had worked. For a second he had been able to make himself float. He was exhausted and he felt like he’d been punched in the gut, but he’d done it. He just hoped he’d never ever have to do it again because it was one of the worst experiences of his life. 

It was still early enough that Shinwon had time to kill before he went to work for the night. He debated taking a short nap as he wandered through the woods, making his way back home, but decided against it because he always felt more tired than he did beforehand when he did. It’d be enough to laze around and crash at home. With luck, Hui or Hyunggu would be awake and he could relax with them for once. Yeah. That would be nice. 

As he stepped out of the woods and out into the street, he felt the temperature drop slightly. The sanctuary was always slightly warmer than the surrounding area. It reminded him of the way Yanan’s house was. It had become slightly more cloudy, but he could still see plenty of patches of blue. The air held the familiar thickness of an oncoming storm though, so he thought it best to head straight home instead of wandering, as he tended to do. 

He moved off to the side of the road as he heard gravel crunch under the wheels of a car, but instead of the vehicle continuing past him, it slowed to a stop. The window rolled down and Shinwon met eyes with an unfamiliar man. His features were slender and angular and he had deep black hair that hung just past his chin in loose waves. He wore a kind smile. “I hate to bother you. I’m a bit lost. Could you direct me towards town?”

Shinwon stared at him in confusion. “You’re going the wrong way, buddy. If you turn around, this road should lead you straight into town. You can’t miss it…”

“Ah. I’m terrible with directions. Thank you-“

“Shinwon.”

“Thank you, Shinwon. I appreciate it a lot,” he grinned. He didn’t make any move to continue driving though, and Shinwon felt the tendrils of unfamiliar magic gripping at him. Alarm bells went off in his head. “I do have to apologize for this, though. I’m going to need you to come with me.”

Shinwon reached out, grabbing the latch of the door and then climbing into the passenger seat of the car. His brain screamed at him to stop, but his body moved on his own. It wasn’t the same as when Hui or Hyunggu controlled him. When they did it, his mind felt at ease and all he could think about was pleasing them. This was different from compulsion. He couldn’t help but think of blood bending in  _ Avatar.  _ Whatever the stranger was doing to him wasn’t pure magic like what he’d been being taught. He wanted to open his mouth, to scream, to ask what the stranger was doing to him, but he couldn’t move so much as a muscle on his own. 

“It’s a shame. You seem like a good guy,” the stranger sighed as Shinwon buckled his seatbelt. “I’m gonna put you to sleep now. Can’t have you know where we’re going in case any of your friends can see into your mind,” he said, reaching out towards Shinwon’s head. He wanted to flinch away, he wanted to cry out. Instead, he watched in numb horror as the other pressed his hand to the center of his forehead and the world melted away into darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :))))))


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something a little different this chapter ;)

“Good luck today!” Hyunggu said as Shinwon pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before turning and kissing the top of Hui’s head. 

“Thanks. Hopefully Hyojong doesn’t get me killed,” he said, scratching the back of his neck and laughing. He’d still heard nothing from the other about what he had planned for practice, and when Hyunggu and Hui had tried to get information out of him, he’d said nothing to either of them. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Hyojong, but they knew when he was scheming. This was definitely a scheme. 

“If he does, kill him for me,” Hui said.

“Alright. Love you both,” Shinwon backed out of the door, waving at them one last time. Hyunggu watched him as he walked down the driveway before disappearing down the street. Unless the weather was bad, Shinwon almost always walked places. It confused Hyunggu as to why he did so when he had a perfectly fine car, but the other always just gave a noncommittal shrug whenever asked about it. 

He felt Hui’s arms wrap around his waist and his lips brush against his neck softly. “Do you have time to spare before work?”

“I always have time for you, Hwitaek,” Hyunggu said, breaking into a grin as he turned to face the other, leaning down into a soft kiss.

-

Wooseok’s ears wouldn’t stop ringing and his whole body was on edge. It was like someone was whistling but he was the only one that could hear it, and he feared he may have finally been losing his mind. He was too young to lose his mind. He couldn’t just ask Yuto if his ears were ringing too without sounding completely crazy. So he sat there, trying to focus on the sounds of the buttons Yuto pressed on his Switch and the soft music that was playing, trying to focus on the rubix cube he’d been fidgeting with for the past twenty minutes without making any progress, trying to focus on anything other than the heavy feeling that weighed over him. 

It wasn’t like a headache or being lightheaded, and it wasn’t like he’d suddenly developed tinnitus. He didn’t even know how to describe it, other than it was absolutely suffocating. He wanted to disappear into his hoodie. Or Yuto’s arms. He moved, sliding his way onto Yuto’s stomach as the other continued playing his game. He didn’t protest, instead adjusting his arms so that Wooseok could get more comfortable. He even brought a hand up to ruffle his hair. Ah, that never got old.

Soon enough, he felt himself falling asleep, the ringing in his ears fading away. The heaviness remained, and he had probably the worst nap he’d had in his entire life. A feeling of impending doom had followed him into a dreamless and uneasy sleep, and when he woke back up blinking wearily, Yuto was staring down at him with a concerned frown.

“Nightmare?”

“I dunno. Was I talking?” His voice was muffled by Yuto’s sweatshirt, but the other gave a soft nod.

“You said ‘go away’ like five times. I kept trying to wake you up. Is everything alright?”

Wooseok sighed, frowning. “I’ve felt off all day, but I can’t put my finger on why. I just have like… like this overwhelming feeling of dread for no reason.”

Yuto hummed quietly, nodding. “I know what you mean. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

“I hope so,” Wooseok said.

-

The diner was usually empty during the day, save for a handful of regulars, which was why Hongseok was surprised when the bell of the door rang. He hurried out to greet the customer, pasting on a smile. He’d never seen the guy who stood before him in his life, which was incredibly rare. He knew almost every single person who walked through that door, but this guy was a complete stranger. 

He was close to the same height as him, with narrow features and a serious expression. Dark hair fell in loose curls just past his chin, and the way they were thrown suggested that he’d been driving with his window open. He was handsome enough, but the seriousness of his expression was off-putting, and Hongseok immediately felt on edge.

“Just you today?” He clarified, reaching for a menu. The man in front of him nodded once. “Alrighty then, right this way,” he used his best customer service voice, although he had the strongest feeling that the man didn’t care one way or the other. Best to not bother him too much, then. He ordered a black coffee and a glass of water. When Hongseok returned with his drinks, asking if he knew what he wanted to order, the man gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Surprise me. Just none of that bloody stuff,” he said, handing the menu back to Hongseok with a frown. 

“Fair enough,” Hongseok cracked a smile, taking the menu from him. The customer just stared at him blankly. 

He told the cook to make anything as long as it was ‘dry’ before pulling out his phone and unlocking it.

**An Insult to Clowns:** bro…

**Succ:** What?

**An Insult to Clowns:** If Hyojong kills me 2day,,, I’ve always loved u bro,,, u r the light of my life,,,

**Succ:** ur not gonna die u fool

**Succ:** besides even if u did, it’s not like u wouldn’t come right back ;)

**An Insult to Clowns:** bold of u to assume i’ve slept w either hui or ki recently enough that I’d have their venom in my system,

**Succ:** well? /have/ you? 

**An Insult to Clowns:** …. 

**An Insult to Clowns:** …. yes

**Succ:** ;)

**An Insult to Clowns:** i take back my love declaration, fuk u

Hongseok snickered, texting Shinwon and telling him he needed to get back to work before shoving his phone back into his pocket and peering into the kitchen to check on the cook. The tall boy stood, staring at a plate that was almost ready as if he was trying to discover some hidden secret within.

“What are you doing? Is it done?”

“Almost. I think. Do you think he’d want our special seasoning on his fries?” 

“He said to surprise him, so I don’t think he really cares what you do Sanha.” 

The other made a face before shrugging and lightly dusting the fries in seasoning. He added a couple of pickles to the plate, stepping back and looking at it to make sure it looked just right before nodding to nobody in particular and picking it up and handing it to Hongseok. “Order up, boss.”

“Don’t call me that, it’s weird,” Hongseok took the plate, backing out of the kitchen. His smile fell as he turned around only to see an empty lobby. The stranger had left? He made his way to the table. The coffee mug was half empty and he hadn’t touched the water. Scrawled on a napkin was a street name. Hongseok picked it up, frowning at it. It was the main road leading out of town and away from any civilization. It was also the road that Yanan and Shinwon’s homes were off of. He folded the napkin, sticking it in his pocket before shooting Shinwon a quick text.

**Succ:** Hey. Be safe, okay?

It delivered, but Shinwon didn’t open it. He was probably too busy with Hyojong. He was smart, he’d be fine. Still, Hongseok couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled over him. 

-

Hui stood at the sink, his hair still dripping from the shower as he brushed his teeth. He needed a new toothbrush, but he kept putting off buying one. Hyunggu was still in the shower, singing loudly. His shower serenades were essentially a ritual at this point, but Hui found it endearing. He loved listening to Hyunggu’s voice whether he was singing or speaking. It was probably one of his favorite sounds. His favorite had to be his laughter. It was like music to his ears and his face always scrunched up in the cutest way. It was a privilege to hear Hyunggu laugh, and one that Hui was happy to have. 

Hyunggu made Hui feel human. 

It was the little moments of domesticity and the movie nights and him forcing Hui to try whatever he’d managed to cook that day no matter how hard he protested. He’d been a vampire for so long that he’d forgotten most of his life prior to being turned. Contrary to stories, vampires didn’t remember things forever. He was fine with what he was, but sometimes the mundaneness of Hyunggu’s habits and interests made him wonder what it would have been like to be a human in the here and now. 

And then there was Shinwon. 

Shinwon, who never was surprised or weirded out by any new information he learned about him or Hyunggu or anyone else for that matter. Shinwon, who was more than willing to listen to stories about his past and then crack a joke about the fact that he was dating a ‘geezer’. Shinwon, who if anything, encouraged Hui to embrace his nature because it wasn’t like he could change it anyways. 

Shinwon made Hui feel more like a vampire than he had in years.

He’d grown so used to drinking from blood bags, so accustomed to the cool, stale taste in his mouth. Bland, maybe, but it did the job well enough. But Shinwon was more than willing to let him feed on him - maybe a little bit too eager. Hui’s venom was like a drug that Shinwon couldn’t get enough of, and Hui was always enthusiastic to deliver, enjoying the sharp taste of the other’s blood on his tongue and loving the way that he practically melted into him. 

Yes, feeding had its uses for survival, but it was also incredibly intimate. While there were plenty of vampires who feeded to kill, there were no shortage of those who lived primarily off of blood bags and saved feeding for only intimate moments. It was just a way to bring them closer, and in a way it bound their minds together for a short time. Being bound in that sort of way was intoxicating and Hui couldn’t even blame Shinwon for loving it as soon as he’d gotten a taste of it. 

Hui rinsed his mouth out before rinsing off his tooth brush and placing it in its cup. The shower turned off, but Hyunggu continued singing to himself as he began to pat himself dry with a towel, grinning at Hui. He made a show of dancing towards him before wrapping his towel around his back and using it to pull him closer. “You should make your own music.”

“Hmmm,” Hyunggu looked thoughtful for a moment before he dipped his head down and kissed Hui on the nose. “Do you think my time has finally come?”

“Yeah. Just imagine. Tracks by our very own Kang Hyunggu, downloaded on the Spotifies of humans and non-humans all around the world.”

“I’m thinking my stage name should be ‘Knnovation.’” Hyunggu said, arcing his hands through the air for dramatic effect.

“That has a nice ring, babe. Put a lot of thought into that?” 

“It’s been rolling around in my head for about a decade now.” 

“I can see it now. Knnovation, also known as Kang Hyunggu. Singer, dancer, artist whose paintings have been featured in many prominent museums, and owner of Adagio Coffee.”

“Wouldn’t that be the life?” Hyunggu smirked before poking Hui in the chest. “Speaking of Adagio, I should get ready for my shift,” he dipped down, giving Hui a soft kiss before moving past him to finish getting ready. Hui watched as he walked away, taking in his smooth skin and slender limbs. It didn’t matter how long they’d been together, Hui could probably stare at the other for another millennia and still not grow tired of it. 

Out of the corner of his eye, his phone screen lit up with a message from Shinwon. 

**Wonnie:** WHY DIDN’T U TELL ME DRAGONS EXISTED!!!

-

It was 5:40 pm on the dot when Yanan felt a jolt of pain shoot up his spine, before blossoming through his head and then disapatting into a dull emptiness. He dropped the half washed plate he’d been holding, not even flinching as it shattered in the sink. He could replace one broken plate. He dried off his hands quickly before hurrying out of his kitchen and into the living room. One of the crystals that had previously been sitting on his shelf lay shattered, its shards scattered across the room. Where before it had been a pale turquoise, the shards were now darkened to a rusty color, dark magic swirling around inside of them before fading into nothing. He picked up one of the shards with a frown, immediately dropping it when it was hot to the touch. 

Whatever just happened was clearly intentional. 

He called upon the energy around him, trying to sense the source of the sudden attack, but all he felt was nothingness. Not even the non magical energy that surrounded normal folk, but an overwhelming lack of anything. It was as if all life and magic had been sucked from the crystal, leaving something that shouldn’t even exist. That crystal had been the focus point for the spell he’d put on the town ages ago. The one that allowed him to not only feel when Changgu came near, but also feel the use of any hostile magic. And now, it was destroyed and he may as well have been blind. 

He took out his phone, dialing Hyojong’s number, but the other didn’t pick up. He cursed, remembering it was the day he was practicing with Shinwon. Hyojong was notoriously forgetful and had probably left his phone at home. He’d have to hope that he’d be with Shinwon for a while longer while he tried to get to the bottom of just what was happening. 

Some of the rustiness had faded from the shards and Yanan hoped that meant they were cool enough to touch as he reached down to grab one. It was still slightly warm, but it didn’t hurt so he began picking up the shards one by one, double checking the room to make sure he hadn’t missed any, before dropping them into a bowl. If he couldn’t decipher the source of the magic, then he would start by drawing anything that remained out of the crystals and go from there. 

He rooted through vials he had before settling on the right concoction of ingredients, pouring and sprinkling them into the bowl over the shards until they sat in a milky white pool, pale white petals floating around them. He drew upon his magic again, this time easily getting a grip on the nothingness that radiated from the shards and pulling at it until it began to bleed into the mixture around them, staining it red. 

The shards were almost back to their original color when he felt something clawing at his mind in warning. When he pushed against it, pain shot through his entire body and he doubled over. He watched as the mixture in the bowl rippled around the drops of his own blood as it began to flow from his nose. He could still feel the unfamiliar presence in his mind and he tried pushing against it again. He didn’t have warning before a pain worse than the last shot through him and his vision went fuzzy. He fought to hold on for longer, but he felt his body slump backwards, and by the time he hit the ground, everything had been enveloped in darkness.

-

Jinho watched from his spot in the underbrush as the stranger drew symbols in the dirt. He hadn’t seen anything like them before, and they glowed red as his lips moved. When he stopped talking, Jinho felt energy surge outward from the symbols, a popping sensation filling his ears. Just as quickly, the man began to erase the symbols and any other signs he’d been there. He stood up suddenly, stopping what he’d been doing as he looked around with narrowed eyes. He pressed at his temples for a moment, before beginning to murmur unfamiliar words. 

Jinho watched in horror as a wisp of magic began flowing from the man’s eyes before darting away into the woods. Thankfully, it went in the opposite direction. Safe for now. 

Slowly, he began to back away, trying to commit every detail of the man to his memory. Whatever he’d just witnessed couldn’t be anything good. He needed to warn the others to be on their guard. 

A branch snapped under one of his paws and he winced, but the stranger only spared a fleeting glance in his direction. He was small enough that he passed as a normal wolf, and as long as he didn’t try to communicate, he hoped that his presence was only a mild disturbance. He let his tongue hang out of his mouth, panting as he padded away into the underbrush, hoping that his guise was good enough for now. 

Behind him, he could hear the man continuing to destroy any evidence he’d left.

-

Hyunggu leaned against the counter, his eyes moving across the pages of the book in front of him. It was a young adult novel about a ragtag team trying to pull off a heist, and he was deeply invested in it. He wasn’t sure who he loved more, Nina or Inej, and he couldn’t help but think of Shinwon when it came to the character Jesper. He was so invested in it that he almost didn’t notice when the bell rang, the door swinging open. He looked up, closing the book quickly and moving it out of the way to greet his first customer in… he glanced at the clock… almost an hour had passed since the last person had come in. 

He grinned when he saw Wooseok and Yuto walk in, clad in their work uniforms and on their way to their evening shift together. “How goes it,” he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows against the counter with an easy grin.

“It goes,” Yuto smiled back, leafing a $10 out of his wallet and sliding it across the counter. “I’ve got his drink too,” he explained. 

The pair came in often enough that they didn’t even have to tell Hyunggu what they wanted. He knew their orders like the back of his hand and he’d already begun to type it into the register before they’d even reached the counter. Yuto with his Red Mocha, and Wooseok with his Draculatte (which was technically a seasonal drink, but Hyunggu didn’t mind bending the rules for his friend). 

“Shinwon already come by?”

“Hm? I didn’t know he worked tonight.”

“Usually he doesn’t, but he said he could come in earlier. Usually he’s hanging around here with you or Yanan before his shifts, so I just thought that…”

“Mmmm, maybe he took a nap and overslept. He’ll probably be there soon though,” Hyunggu offered as explanation, steaming some milk for their drinks as the espresso dripped into their cups. 

“You’re probably right,” Wooseok replied, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m just paranoid, I guess.”

That was different. Shifters might not have had any other special abilities other than shifting, but Wooseok had had the best instincts for as long as Hyunggu had known him. “What do you mean by that? Do you think something happened?”

“I dunno. I’ve just been on edge all day. You know when you feel off and then you end up finding out something happened later, and it makes a little bit too much sense? It’s that sorta feeling.”

Hyunggu stared at Wooseok, frowning. “I’ll call him,” he said.

“Ah, I shouldn’t have said something. I don’t want you to worry.”

“No, I trust your instincts more than most people. If you’re worried, there’s probably a reason for that,” Hyunggu said. He tried to keep his voice even as he dialed Shinwon’s number. He balanced his phone between his shoulder and ear as he finished up the pair’s drinks and slid them across the counter. Neither Yuto or Wooseok made a move to leave, instead watching Hyunggu as he waited for Shinwon to pick up. The phone rang. It kept ringing. When the ringing stopped, Hyunggu inhaled, ready to ask Shinwon if everything was okay, but he was cut off by the sound of his voicemail. He stood there, staring at the other two as a heavy feeling began to settle in his gut. 

Without saying anything to either of them, he quickly dialed Hui’s number. The other picked up almost immediately.

“Have you heard from Shinwon?”

“Hm? Not since he was with Hyojong.”

“I can’t get a hold of him, and I have a bad feeling. Well, Wooseok had a bad feeling, and now I do too. I’ll call Hyo and see if he’s still with him.”

“Okay, please keep me up-“ Hyunggu was already hanging up and dialing the next number. 

The phone rang a few times, and he felt himself filling with dread as he worried that Hyojong might not pick up, but at the last second, the phone stopped ringing.

“Hello?”

Hyunggu blinked, glancing at the caller ID, worried he’d called the wrong number, but sure enough, it was Hyojong’s phone.

“...Hyuna? When did you get back?”

“Today. Just in time, too. Saved your boyfriend from Hyojong’s bad ideas~” she laughed from the other end of the line, her voice slightly muffled as if she were wrapped in a blanket burrito. Hyunggu didn’t know her super well, but he knew her well enough to know that that was probably the case. 

“Yeah. He’s actually why I’m calling. I’m assuming you’re not with him anymore, but when did you last hear from him?”

“He left about an hour ago… Why? Is everything okay?”

Hyunggu gripped onto the counter, willing himself to stay calm. “I don’t think it is. Nobody can get a hold of him.”

His voice must have betrayed his fear, because he heard the rustling of fabric on the other end of the line, accompanied by Hyuna covering the mouth piece as she said something to Hyojong. “Where are you right now? We‘ll be right there,” she said. 

“Adagio. I’m on shift right now-“

“Do you have anything of his on you?”

Hyunggu blinked. “I… I’m wearing one of his shirts right now, does that work?” 

“It’ll have to. We’re on our way. Call Yanan and have him meet us here. I’m gonna try a location spell.” 

“Okay,” Hyunggu nodded even though Hyuna couldn’t see him through the phone. 

“Hang tight, we’ll be there soon,” she said, hanging up. 

Hyunggu didn’t even have to dial Yanan’s number because the other was already calling him. “Yanan?”

“Is Shinwon with you?”

“No. That was part of the reason I was calling you. Hyuna says to meet at Adagio ASAP.”

“Hyunggu… you know the spell I cast a while back? The one that lets me sense when Changgu is in town?”

“What happened? Did you feel him?”

“No. Someone countered it. It’s gone.”

“Gone? I don’t understand? Hyuna helped you with that spell, it should have been powerful-“ Hyunggu felt his insides slowly twisting into a knot as he tried to keep his voice steady. He cast a worried glance at Yuto and Wooseok, who were waiting silently on the other side of the counter. 

“It _was_ powerful. As far as I know, Changgu can only do his illusions, which means he must have a witch helping him. One who specializes in dark magic.”

“Shit.”

“I’m on my way. We’ll figure out what’s happening okay? Shinwon will be alright. He has to be,” Yanan said, his voice growing soft. Hyunggu wasn’t sure who he was trying to comfort: him or himself. 

-

Yuto had never seen Yanan look so horrible before. When the other burst into the doors of the cafe, accompanied by Hui, he had dark circles under his eyes. Blood was caked under his nose, and there were a few scratches dotting his arms. _What the hell had happened to him?_

When it became clear that their friend was in danger, Wooseok and Yuto had opted to stay in the cafe. Even if they couldn’t do much to help as far as magic was concerned, they still wanted to be there just in case. The Vinyl Countdown could wait. 

Hyuna and Hyojong arrived soon after and the cafe broke into chaos. Hyuna was explaining the details of a spell to Yanan and Hyojong, and everyone else was instructed to move furniture and anything breakable out of the way so that they would have space to safely work their magic. 

Once everything was moved to what Hyuna deemed a safe distance, Yuto, Wooseok, Hyunggu, and Hui moved to a corner of the room to give the witches room to work. Hui handed Hyunggu a sweatshirt to put on since the shirt he’d previously been wearing now was being placed in a circle of candles by Hyuna. Yuto didn’t know anything about magic, so he would just have to trust in the others. 

The idea of anything happening to Shinwon terrified him. He wasn’t even that close to the other, but he knew that the other had something that Changgu wanted, and that alone was a huge risk. He wouldn’t let Shinwon fall into the same fate as him. It couldn’t happen. 

Outside, the first fat drops of rain began to splatter onto the pavement. 

-

There was something deeply unsettling about sitting in a dark cafe while rain fell in torrents outside, the room suddenly breaking into brightness every so often as lightning flashed. Hui leaned against the counter, gripping Hyunggu’s hand as tightly as he could as he watched the scene unfold before their eyes. In the center of the room, candles were lit. He didn’t know much about magic, and while Hyuna had explained their different meanings to him time and time again, he still felt clueless as ever. Hyojong and Yanan sat on either side of Hyuna; she gripped their hands tightly in her own, and Hui was almost positive he could see their magic flowing into her as her lips moved soundlessly. 

In front of them, Shinwon’s stolen shirt burst into flames. Hyunggu winced.

“I’m sure he won’t be too hurt over one shirt,” Hui reasoned, laughing weakly. He was terrified, and he wasn’t even the one who was missing. He only hoped that Shinwon was unharmed for the time being. 

They both jumped when they heard Hyuna take a sharp breath, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration. 

“Can you see him?” 

“No. There’s a block on him,” she said with a frown.

“It’s not one of yours, is it?” Hui looked at Yanan and the other shook his head slowly.

“I gave him protection charms and potions but I never put a block on him. I didn’t think Changgu had witches with him, so I didn’t think there was any reason-“

“No, I’d recognize your magic if it was yours. I don’t know who put the block there. It’s strange. Usually I can feel the person whose magic it is, but all I feel is darkness.”

Hui felt Hyunggu tense next to him. Yanan looked like he was going to be sick. Although Hyojong had kept his features passive, whatever magic Hyuna was doing was clearly taking its toll on him. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

“Hyuna… I felt something similar earlier,” Yanan began. All eyes turned to him.

“When?”

“You know how I told you someone took down the spell we had over the area? When I tried to sense the magic, I felt nothingness. Not even lack of magic, but lack of anything at all. And when I tried to pull the magic out of what was left of our crystal, whoever had destroyed it attacked me.”

“Shit,” she cursed. 

The room was quiet for a moment, save for the pattering of rain outside, and everyone watched Hyuna with tense expressions as she continued to draw more magic, trying desperately to push past the block. In the same moment that she went limp over the candles, the door to the cafe flung open.

Hyojong and Yanan dove to steady her as she tried to regain her senses as Jinho and Hongseok walked into the room. They were both absolutely drenched. Hongseok was still in his work uniform. 

“What happened?” Hui asked, making his way to the others. Hyunggu grabbed towels from behind the counter, handing them to the pair of shifters so that they could at least somewhat dry off.

“I saw a man in the woods earlier,” Jinho began, taking the towel and drying his hair off with it. “I don’t know what exactly he was doing but it didn’t look good. He drew symbols in the dirt and cast a spell, and I could feel the energy from it. It felt like something breaking.”

“Did he do anything else?” Yanan spoke from across the room, causing everyone to face him.

Jinho nodded. “As he was cleaning up afterwards, it looked like he stopped to cast another spell or something. All I know is that I saw magic leave his body and shoot off into the woods.”

“It was him. He’s who broke the spell, and he’s who attacked me,” Yanan’s voice left no room for argument. 

“I saw the same guy earlier. He came in while I was on shift. He ordered some food, but left by the time I got out with his order. He left this on the table,” Hongseok pulled a soggy napkin out of his pocket, handing it to Hui. The man’s writing was still legible even if the napkin was soaked through and about to dissolve into nothing. He frowned when he saw the name of his street.

“You don’t think he-“

“I think he has him, Hui,” Hongseok’s voice cracked. Thunder rolled, loud enough that the ground shook. Nobody spoke, staring at each other in a stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you guys ❤️


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for minor character death in this chapter,, and also some slight gore ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He woke up to the smell of vanilla, groaning as he pulled the blankets over his head. Just a few more minutes of sleep. He didn’t wanna go to work. He rolled over, wrapping his arms around his pillow. It was softer than he remembered it being. He cracked open an eye with a frown, and then shot up, looking around the room frantically as memories rushed back to him. Where the hell was he?

The bed he was on had plain grey sheets covering it. It wasn’t anything fancy looking, but the material suggested it had probably been pricy. Other than the bed, the room was almost completely devoid of furniture. The only other thing was a bedside table that had a candle burning, and a full glass of water sitting next to it. Shinwon immediately reached for the glass, downing it quicker than he should have. He set his eyes on the door, climbing out of the bed and reaching for the doorknob. It rattled uselessly, having been locked from the other side.

So he was in prison with luxury sheets. 

“Hey,” he shouted, banging his fist against the door, trying to get somebody’s attention. He had some idea of who was responsible for this, but he tried to push that to the back of his mind. If he had any chance of getting out of there alive, he had to stay calm. 

He reached into his pockets, feeling for his phone and wallet. The phone was gone, as he suspected, but thankfully they’d left him his wallet. How benevolent of his captors. He’d have to thank them for their endless kindness later. He sighed, shoving the wallet back into his pocket and flopping onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Was Changgu just planning on keeping Shinwon locked up in this room for the rest of his life? Would his last days just be spent in boredom, staring at the ceiling until he was too weak to move? 

He wasn’t sure if hours or minutes passed before he heard a key turning in the door. He sat up, fixing his eyes on the doorway, ready to face Changgu and preparing for a speedy death, but instead he was met with the guy who’d kidnapped him. He was wearing different clothes than before, and he had his hair pulled out of his face in a half ponytail. Shinwon vaguely wondered how much time had passed since he’d taken him as he watched him make his way across the room with a plate in his hand.

“Eat.”

“What’s your name?” Shinwon asked, eyeing the plate. It looked like normal food to him. Not even normal, it looked straight up mouth watering. He took the plate from the man, poking at the beef with his chopsticks and trying to determine if it was actually real. It looked too good to be true.

“Why do you care?”

“Just curious. I can guess who you’re working for, but I don’t know anything about you,” Shinwon offered, giving in and shoving a piece of beef into his mouth. It tasted even better than it looked. He’d have to tell the man to give his compliments to the chef.

“Wow. Most people aren’t eager to learn about their captors,” the man said dryly. 

Shinwon just shrugged in return as he began to devour the rest of the food on the plate. Finally, the man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Hwiyoung. I’m Hwiyoung. Are you finished?” He stared at Shinwon as if he was an inconvenience to his daily routine. Shinwon examined his plate, making sure he hadn’t missed even one crumb before nodding and handing it to the other. 

“Well, Hwiyoung. Do you know what I’m doing here? What is Changgu gonna do?” 

“I don’t know. He doesn’t tell me shit. He just gives me orders and I follow them.”

“That sounds like a crappy gig.”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“No, I can’t say I do. Why do you listen to him? Is there anything in it for you?”

“I don’t really have much of a choice.”

“There’s always a-“ Shinwon’s sentence was cut off as his lips began moving soundlessly. Had Hwiyoung just used a silencing spell on him? He furrowed his eyebrows, frowning as the other man just shook his head, giving a heavy sigh. 

“All I know is that he wants you kept alive and healthy for now. He didn’t tell me anything else. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to be doing right now,” he growled, before turning and leaving the room. Shinwon heard the door lock as he closed it behind him. 

“Asshole,” he muttered under his breath as he felt the other’s spell lift off of him. 

-

The next time Shinwon woke up, it was to the sound of the door opening again. It must have been night, and the candle that had been next to him had burnt out who knows how long ago, so he blinked sleepily as he tried to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. Changgu walked towards him, the moonlight shining off of his hair in a way that was too beautiful. Too perfect to belong to the man in front of him. 

He looked at Shinwon as if he was looking through him at something hidden on the other side. His expression was bored. He didn’t say anything, he just sat there, staring at him and making him feel completely worthless under the power of his gaze. Shinwon was tired. 

“What do you want?”

Changgu just sighed, shaking his head. “So bitter.” 

“Well, you did have me kidnapped.” 

“You have a comfortable bed, and food that should be more than adequate. Keep complaining, and I might set up different arrangements for you.” 

Shinwon let himself fall back onto the bed, not really caring if the other was there anymore. Maybe he’d leave if he just ignored him. Changgu made no move to leave, instead leaning back so he was lying next to him. How charming. Shinwon wanted to gag.

“Whatever you’re planning, just do it so I can either go back to sleep or die or whatever,” Shinwon grumbled, rolling over so he was facing the wall instead of Changgu.

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Changgu’s voice was soft, and Shinwon could feel his breath against his ear. He closed his eyes, trying to tune out the dull pain in his neck as Changgu finally bit down. He felt himself involuntarily relaxing as the venom began to flow through his system, but he forced himself to focus on the fact that he was being held captive. This wasn’t Hui or Hyunggu, it was Changgu. His mind started to spin as the other continued drinking greedily from him. He knew that he’d take more than Hui or Hyunggu ever did, but it didn’t stop the fear that hazily crept up in the back of his mind. Was the other just gonna suck him completely dry and then move on?

As soon as the thought passed through his mind, he felt Changgu pulling himself off of him and then moving to stand up. Shinwon couldn’t move, his body heavy from the loss of blood and the overwhelming amount of venom that flowed through him. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t even turn to look as Changgu walked away. He just lay there, waiting for whatever would come next. 

He heard Changgu pause in the doorway, the quiet shuffle of his feet as he turned to stare back at him. “Sleep,” his voice was soft. 

So Shinwon slept.

-

He had no idea how many days passed. He didn’t have a clock, and while eventually Hwiyoung had showed up with a pile of random books, a pen, and a notebook for Shinwon to have, he had no real way of measuring the time. It was more or less the same every day. Hwiyoung would creep into the room quietly a few times with food and drink, and he’d escort him to a bathroom if he needed to go or if he needed to shower. And then he’d leave Shinwon alone with the books and his thoughts. 

Changgu didn’t come every day. His visits were irregular, and usually there were a few days in between each one so that Shinwon would have time to recover. He never said much to him because Shinwon almost always would respond with a biting remark. He just fed. 

His amulet was gone and he didn’t have Yanan’s tea to protect him, but other than putting him to sleep with the after effects of his venom, Changgu didn’t use his powers on him. Shinwon guessed he should be thankful for that at least, but it didn’t change the fact that he was a prisoner. A prisoner with a comfortable bed, being fed three five-star meals a day, but still a prisoner. 

He couldn’t even practice his magic to pass time. Hwiyoung must have put some sort of spell on the room, making it a vacuum devoid of any magical energy, and Shinwon could feel himself becoming weaker without it at his fingertips. He wasn’t even an outdoorsy person but he wanted nothing more than to go outside, even if only for a few moments. He just wanted to breathe air that wasn’t stale, feel the warmth of sun against his skin, anything but the monotony of the room he’d grown accustomed to.

He asked Hwiyoung if that was allowed one morning as he’d come in with a tray of food. He’d simply been met with a bored “I’ll see what I can do.” It was better than nothing. When the other had come with his lunch, and then his dinner, he’d said nothing else on the topic. Shinwon’s hope deflated. He’d just have to continue reading Nabokov and pray that next time a book was brought to him, it’d be something more exciting than _Despair._

That night, as he was changing into sleep clothes, the door to his room opened. He stared at Changgu as he hurried to put his shirt back on. “You’re earlier than usual,” he said with a frown. The other rolled his eyes, tossing him a pair of shoes and gesturing for him to put them on. Shinwon stared at the shoes on the ground in surprise. So his request hadn’t gone unheard, after all. Or Changgu was about to make Shinwon run so that he could chase him and play with his prey. 

He pulled the shoes on. They fit comfortably despite not being his own shoes. They weren’t new, but they weren’t in disrepair by any means. They were worn in enough that they had some degree of flexibility. When he stood up, Changgu just nodded for him to follow. Shinwon didn’t need to be told twice. 

Part of him was tempted to make a run for it as soon as he got outside, but he knew that would be futile. Changgu would easily be on him in a fraction of a second, and he suspected Hwiyoung probably had magic in use to keep him from wandering too far. 

The hallways of the building they were in all looked the same, and he knew he would easily get lost if he ever managed to escape his room on his own. Changgu said nothing as he led him through the hallways, rounding corners and then making his way down a set of stairs. They emerged into a living area. A couple men lounged on a couch, paying the pair no attention as they walked by. Through a doorway, there was a kitchen. Two women stood in the center, speaking in hushed voices as they sipped wine. Or at least they sipped from wine glasses, but Shinwon felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he realized that they were probably drinking blood. He felt like he was in a lion’s den, and for all he knew, he was. An older man sat at a table in the kitchen, his head slumped over. He was dead. 

Shinwon tore his eyes away, following Changgu as he led him outside. The air was heavy and thick with humidity, but it was fresh. Shinwon blinked as his eyes adjusted to the colors. He’d grown so accustomed to the drab scenery of his room that he was taken aback. It was late evening, and the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. The sky was filled with oranges and pinks and purples. Changgu grabbed his wrist, pulling him along rather than giving him time to adjust. 

“Where are we going?”

“For a walk.”

“Why?”

“So you’ll stop complaining.”

Shinwon stopped in his tracks, yanking his wrist out of the other’s grip. “I’m sorry, is my complaining an inconvenience to you? That sure is rough. You know what’s an inconvenience to me? Being locked up and not knowing where any of the people I love are.”

Changgu sighed in frustration. He was treating him like he was a child throwing a tantrum and if anything, it only made Shinwon more furious. “You could be thankful for a few minutes that I’m letting you outside. Or that I’ve given you comfortable accommodations and food to eat. Or that I’m even letting you live.”

Shinwon sent a piercing glare at Changgu as he grasped for magical energy around him. He was weak, but he was able to grab just enough to channel into his hand so that when he punched Changgu in the jaw, the other let out a shout of pain. His hand flew to the spot, where a splotchy burn mark had appeared. 

“You little shit-“

“You say you’re ‘letting’ me live. Why the fuck would I be thankful for that. So what, you’re feeding me and giving me crappy books to read. That doesn’t mean shit because at the end of the day you still have me locked up. At the end of the day, you still sent some random witch to kidnap me instead of doing it yourself. You’re a fucking coward, Changgu.”

Shinwon held his ground, watching Changgu with what he hoped was a defiant expression as the other steadied himself. The look in his eyes was downright murderous. Maybe he’d gone too far, but then again was there any way to go too far when you were arguing with your captor? He was sure the others would rather him stand up for himself than be completely complacent. But then again, he was sure the others would rather him be alive.

“Are you finished with your little outburst, or should I wait for you to continue?” Changgu’s words were venomous, and he’d put on an unphased mask. Shinwon said nothing, continuing to glare at him. The other scoffed, shaking his head and giving him a cold smile. “Nothing’s ever easy with you, is it?”

“Where would the fun be in that?” 

Changgu’s hand was on his wrist again as he pulled him along, deeper into the woods. Shinwon was tired. He’d barely used any magic, but he felt the toll of it on his body as well as the heaviness of the situation weighing upon his shoulders. He was going to die without ever having the chance to say anything else to Hui or Hyunggu or Yanan. He missed them. 

He stumbled, sinking to his knees in the middle of the path they stood on. Changgu whirled around, clearly irritated. When he met Shinwon’s eyes, he could have sworn he saw something pass through them. Pity, maybe. The idea that Changgu might be capable of any sort of emotion seemed far off to him, and Shinwon felt himself crumbling. He’d been trying to stay strong, trying to wait for something to happen, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to keep up the act.

“Get up.”

He felt tears streaming down his face, but he made no move to get up. He felt too weak. He just wanted to stay there, curled up in the middle of some path who knows where. He wanted to be left alone. He felt Changgu’s hand grip his jaw, forcing him to look up at him. 

“Look at me. Get up.” 

Shinwon felt his body involuntarily move from the power of Changgu’s compulsion as he rose to his feet, tears still streaming down his face. 

“Come here,” Changgu’s voice was softer now. Shinwon knew what came next as he took a couple of steps towards the other. Changgu’s arms snaked around him as if he was about to pull him into a hug or a kiss, but instead he buried his face in his neck, fangs sinking into his flesh. 

For once, Shinwon was thankful for the relief that the venom brought. The way that it numbed his senses until there was nothing but Changgu and the sound of his own heart beating. If the other noticed the burn on his cheek beginning to heal, he said nothing. 

-

“You’re coming with me.” 

Shinwon blinked wearily at the man in the doorway. He was another vampire, but he hadn’t really talked to him before. He was taller and built and his voice was deep. His name was something with an M but Shinwon hadn’t bothered to figure out who anyone else there was. Changgu and Hwiyoung were the only ones who had really acknowledged him until then. 

“Where are we going?”

“Changgu gave orders to put you somewhere safe. Didn’t tell me much else. Maybe your friends are dumb enough to think they can save you.” 

Shinwon stood his ground. 

“Are you waiting for an invitation or something? Come on,” the man gestured for him to follow. When Shinwon still refused to move, the man fixed his eyes on him. “You’re making this harder than it has to be. Start walking.”

Shinwon’s body involuntarily moved as he began to follow the man. “Funny, Changgu says the same thing to me all the time,” he said dryly. He wondered vaguely where they were going, but what did it matter? He didn’t even know where they were in the first place. There was no way of knowing if he was somewhere minutes from town or if he was on a completely different continent. 

The man led him outside and then unceremoniously pushed him into the back of a dark grey car. Before closing the door, he fixed his gaze on Shinwon again. “Don’t move until I say you can. Close your eyes now.” Once Shinwon’s eyes were closed, he was aware of the door slamming shut and then the man climbing into the driver’s seat of the car. He heard him turn on the ignition and then felt the car begin moving.

“Where are we going?”

The man ignored him, turning on the radio and turning up the volume. Trot music came through the speakers and Shinwon sighed. Wherever they were going, it would be a long trip. He heard the first few fat drops of rain begin to patter against the window, and then he heard the man turn on the wipers. 

“What’s your name?”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“That’s a weird name.” 

He didn’t have to have his eyes open to be able to feel the anger radiating from the man. But sick as it was, he knew he was safe from harm. Changgu wanted him protected, and even if he was holding him captive, it was still decent leverage. Still, he decided not to push his luck, sitting the rest of the car ride silently. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but he heard the crunch of gravel under the wheels as the car turned down a dirt road before slowing to a stop.

“Out.” 

Shinwon blindly climbed out of the car. For all he knew, he could be standing at the edge of a cliff. “Can I open my eyes?”

“I dunno, will you shut up if I let you?”

“Sure.”

“Open your eyes,” he said. 

Shinwon blinked, eyes adjusting to the brightness. It was overcast and the air still hung heavily from the rain, but the storm had paused for the moment. They were in the middle of the woods with no buildings in sight. Maybe Shinwon had put too much faith in Changgu after all, and he really would be meeting his demise. He must have had him taken out here to be killed. 

“Start walking.” 

Shinwon began walking into the woods, the man following behind him. There was nothing but trees. This couldn’t be right. But then, his vision began to ripple and he seemed to pass through some boundary because suddenly there was a small cabin in front of him. He blinked, staring at it in confusion.

“What is-“

“Hwiyoung’s work. He had help, I believe.”

“Splendid,” Shinwon muttered, reaching for the door and walking inside. 

There was almost no furniture in the room that they entered and the walls were bare save for a single clock. A couple folding chairs were the most notable thing in the room and two more men sat on them, seeming to be invested in a game of cards. They didn’t spare either of them a glance as they walked in. “Stop staring, keep moving.” The man pushed Shinwon’s back roughly as he continued to make his way into a hallway that branched off of the room. He turned, walking up a flight of stairs and then entered another room.

This room was tiny, and had only a cot and a bookshelf that was collecting dust and was almost completely empty save for a notebook, a couple of pencils, and a vase with long dead plants drooping over the edge. Shinwon stared at the surroundings with a frown on his face.

“Welcome to your new cell.” 

“What? Changgu spend his whole budget on the other place?”

“Technically this isn’t his domain. Hwiyoung was who arranged this, so if you have any complaints, I would take them up with him.”

“Great,” Shinwon muttered. 

“Have fun, asshole.” The man turned, shutting him into the room and locking the door as he left.

The air was thick and musty. Shinwon sneezed.

-

The notebook that had been left in the room was mostly empty. The first few pages had sketches of random people on it, and then after that, a few more pages had random notes written down as if they were afterthoughts. Shinwon had never gotten the chance to learn the final details of magic, and most of what he had learnt had slipped from his memory as time passed, so he had no way of knowing if it would even work, but once the idea took root in his mind he knew he had to try.

He’d quickly found out that the cabin wasn’t magic proof, not like the other building he’d been kept in had been anyways. He was weak, but he’d managed to grasp at a small amount of magic. It would have to be enough. Shinwon had never tried communication with his magic before, and he had no way of knowing if anything he did would even work, but he’d just have to hope for the best. 

He wrote everything he knew into the notebook, channeling his magic into the pencil and focusing on home. Hui had a composition book that he always carried with him everywhere. He tried picturing it in his mind, willing what he wrote in the notebook to appear in his. Every day, after he wrote in the notebook, he was careful to put it along with the pencil back in the exact places they’d been on the shelf. He couldn’t risk being found out.

After a couple of days, Hwiyoung and Changgu joined him at the cabin. The man from before had since left, returning to Changgu’s compound and complaining that the cabin was musty and that he felt uneasy being surrounded by so many witches. So that’s who he was with. He found out that the men who had been there when he’d arrived were Taeyang and Zuho. Neither of them said much to Shinwon, and they regarded him with indifference. Apparently neither of them cared much about Changgu or what he was doing, and they only were letting them stay at the cabin because Hwiyoung asked them to. 

Shinwon’s diet mostly consisted of sorry sandwiches and fruits that were on the edge of being rotten. In the mornings, Hwiyoung appeared with oatmeal that had already gotten cold in the time it took him to reach his cell. Changgu didn’t feed on him as often as he had before, and Shinwon could see in the way that he carried himself that he was on edge. He hoped that that was a good thing; he hoped that it meant that whatever he’d been doing wasn’t futile and that the others were close. 

“What day is it?”

He’d asked Taeyang on a rare day that he’d been allowed to be outside for a few minutes. The other stared at him incredulously. “You can’t be serious…”

“Except I am. I’ve lost track of how long Changgu’s had me locked away. It’s not like anyone’s thought to give me a calendar or anything.” 

Taeyang had just shook his head, kicking a stone. Shinwon wondered how he felt about having to guard another witch and keep him from running away so that he could forever be a vampire’s blood bank- how he really felt under the mask of indifference that he’d worn. There was no way that this could sit right with anyone who had a conscience. 

“It’s Thursday. June 21.”

Shinwon swallowed, letting himself sink to the ground. The coolness of the grass provided no relief. He’d known a while had passed but… it’d been well over a month. Well over a month and he was still stubbornly holding onto the hope that his friends would come for him and that he’d be free. It was spring when Hwiyoung had pulled him away from everyone he knew, and here he was in the middle of summer. And he was still very much alive. Taeyang said nothing, instead watching Shinwon with a bored expression. If he did feel bad at all, he did a really good job of hiding it. 

“Your time is almost up,” he said after a long silence. Shinwon thought he heard something else in his voice. It could have been pity or guilt or tiredness. But in that moment, he saw the mask crumble just enough to think that maybe he wasn’t completely alone.

-

“Get up.”

Shinwon was shaken from his sleep by Changgu. He loomed over him, eyes furious. He climbed out of bed in a daze. Were they relocating again? Would it only get worse from there? The past few days, he’d been given less to eat. Changgu hadn’t so much as acknowledged his existence for the past week. He was tired of fighting and he wanted it to all be over. 

He let himself get yanked by the other out of the room and pushed down the stairs so roughly he almost tripped. “Hurry,” Changgu’s voice came out roughly. Shinwon didn’t have the energy to argue, instead trying desperately to keep up with Changgu’s pace. Nobody was in the main room as they passed through it, and the lights were all off. When they opened the door, Hwiyoung was standing there.

“Leaving so soon?”

Shinwon wasn’t sure who he should be more afraid of: the vampire holding his wrist in a death grip or the witch who had tendrils of dark magic flowing from his hands. He wasn’t even sure what was happening.

“Yes, and you’d be wise to let me through.”

“Deal’s off, Changgu, and you’re in our territory. The boy stays here.”

“And why do you think I’ll just hand him over to you?”

“I’m not giving you a choice. He’s got something I want. I thought you’d be more understanding.” 

So Shinwon miscalculated. Maybe the witches weren’t aligned with Changgu after all, but they sure as hell weren’t on his side either. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that they knew about his blood. He had no idea how they would have figured that out, or if Changgu had even noticed when Shinwon’s blood had healed him that one time, but it had to have been what they wanted. That, or they wanted to suck away his magic to use for themselves. He wasn’t sure if that was actually possible, but there was no reason it was impossible either. 

Shinwon managed to slip out of Changgu’s grip in the same moment that Hwiyoung sent a surge of dark magic spiraling at the other. After that, all hell broke loose. He ducked past the two men, trying to get away from them, except he had no idea where he even was or where he was going. 

“After him,” Changgu’s voice called out, and suddenly he was being tackled to the dirt. The vampire who’d driven him up there pinned him down. 

“Can I know your name now?” Shinwon asked weakly.

The man scoffed in disbelief, and it was enough of a distraction for Shinwon to push magic from himself into the man, forcing him to lift off of him. He yelled in anger as he tried to bring himself back to the ground, but Shinwon focused on keeping his grip long enough that he could put at least some distance between him and the man.

He felt the energy slip as he dove into the treeline and heard the man shout as he fell back down to Earth. He could feel energy crackling around him, and it wasn’t from his own magic. He felt something close around his ankle, and suddenly he was being dragged to the dirt by vines. “Sorry, but you can’t leave us,” Taeyang’s voice came. 

“You know, for a moment, I thought you might have feelings beneath your mask. Turns out I was wrong,” Shinwon said, trying to figure out a way to get out of the vines. He focused heat into himself, not caring if it singed his clothes as long as it singed the vines too. 

“I felt bad for you. I felt bad for the way he was keeping you locked away. That much is true. But not for the reasons you wish,” he said coolly, only strengthening his control on the vines. Shinwon was no match. His magic was still weak, especially where fire was concerned. But then he saw a thin pair of hands reach in front of Taeyang’s head. Shinwon closed his eyes as his ears were filled with the crunch of bones breaking. 

He didn’t have time to free himself from the vines because he was being picked up and dragged back toward the cabin by a vaguely familiar woman. He recognized her from Changgu’s compound as another vampire, but he’d never talked to her. This was the first time she’d actually acknowledged him. As they stepped back into the clearing, Shinwon could see the vampire from before. He was accompanied with another woman and man he also vaguely recognized. 

“I have him, but what the fuck are we supposed to do about Hwiyoung? He might just be a witch, but he’s far more powerful than Changgu,” the woman’s voice was smooth and she sounded unbothered. Maybe this was just a normal day for her, Shinwon didn’t know. His ears still echoed with the sickening crunch of bones.

Shinwon focused on energy around him, trying to pull in as much as possible. 

In the doorway, Changgu was on his knees desperately clawing at his throat as Hwiyoung’s magic slowly constricted around it. It was a gruesome scene, and the worst part was that every muscle in Shinwon’s body was screaming at him to do something to save Changgu. He was his captor, he’d treated him like shit, he’d tried manipulating him all of this time and he’d done countless things to terrorize his friends, but seeing him gasping for air set off alarm bells in Shinwon’s brain. 

The woman’s grip on him was still too tight for him to do anything and none of the other vampires made any moves to help Changgu, instead watching him with a curious expression. He’d thought they were allied with him, but their overall indifference made him second-guess. 

Shinwon focused on the feeling of the ground beneath his feet, on the energy that thrived there. He didn’t even know what his plan was, but his brain was screaming at him to do something. He’d worry about why he was so desperate to do anything to save the other later. He exhaled, letting the energy he’d built up surge through his body and into the ground. At first, nothing happened. Then, the ground shook. 

Shouting broke out around him, but he stood his ground, watching as the others scattered in confusion. Hwiyoung lost his balance, stumbling backwards as Changgu gasped for air. He locked eyes with Shinwon, something glinting in his eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was thanks, but he’d take it. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Hwiyoung and Changgu racing towards him. 

-

When Shinwon woke up, it was to the crackling of a fire and the scent of something burning. Someone was holding him protectively, hand gently moving through his hair, and his immediate instinct was to bury his head deeper into their chest and go back to sleep. But something was wrong. The burning scent was overwhelming and it made him want to gag, and when he opened his eyes, he realized why. In the fire, three unrecognizable corpses burned. 

“I was beginning to think you’d never wake up,” Changgu said.

Shinwon wanted to struggle, to pull himself away from the other, but he had no energy left. He wasn’t even sure what exactly he’d done or how long had passed; all he knew was that he’d expended much more magic than he should have been able to, and now he felt like he’d been hit by a train.

“What the hell did you do to me?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Changgu said, and there was no hint of his usual condescension. He just sounded tired.

“Did you compel me to save you back there?”

“Oh, that’s what this is about? Let me ask you a question: did it look like I was remotely able to do anything?”

“No…”

“Then you have your answer. I would have thought you’d understand, given the fact that you’re with two vampires,” Changgu sighed.

This time, Shinwon mustered enough energy to roll out of the other’s arms and turn to face him, a deep set frown on his face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“I’ve had you for about… what now, a month? Two? Who cares. What’s important is that I’ve fed on you plenty of times-“

“Yeah, and now you’re rubbing it in my face.”

“It’s my venom, Shinwon. I might not have fed on you recently enough for any to be in your system, but if a vampire feeds on the same human enough, they become bonded. You wouldn’t have noticed with the other two because I’m sure you’re deeply in love with them blah blah blah. Neither of them probably thought to mention it. But me? You hate me. I can tell from the way you look at me. But you’d also do anything to keep me alive. You need me, Shinwon.”

He shrunk away from the hungry look that Changgu fixed on him. His skin was crawling and he wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible. “No. You’re lying.”

“I haven’t lied to you once, and I don’t intend on starting any time soon,” Changgu said, shrugging. 

“Is this a fucking game to you?”

“Yeah, actually. It’s a very fun one too.”

Shinwon wanted to punch him or to scream or to somehow make the Earth open up beneath Changgu and watch as he hurtled into oblivion, but instead, he sat down, burying his head in his hands as he listened to the fire crackling. 

“What happened with your witch friends?”

“We couldn’t come to an agreement.”

“Why do you all care about me so much?”

“I think you know the answer to that question, Shinwon.”

So he had noticed.

“What about the other vampires?”

“Matthew left. The others went with him. They’re not keen on witches, so that little incident crossed all sorts of lines.”

“‘Incident’. Right.”

-

Changgu watched him with a raised eyebrow as he hungrily dove into the burger. They were at some dimly lit diner in the middle of who-the-fuck-knows-where, and even though the burger was cheap, he didn’t know when the last time he’d had a semi decent meal was. Part of him wanted to just starve. If he was weak, Changgu wouldn’t feed on him. Maybe if he didn’t feed on him, whatever freak bond had formed would vanish entirely. But his hunger ultimately had won over. 

He didn’t object when Shinwon ordered a shake.

The waiter was some tired teenager who didn’t have a choice but to work the night shift and didn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary. They set down the glass in front of Shinwon before asking if Changgu wanted anything for what felt like the millionth time. Changgu declined politely, but Shinwon knew he was growing impatient. That, and he was hungry. He might not have said anything, but Shinwon could see from the way he kept eyeing him that he intended on feeding on him as soon as they left. He tried not to think about it as he drank his shake. He was still too weak to do anything to harm Changgu, and he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to muster enough magic to even light a candle without passing out. So for now, he was stuck.

“I’m gonna be right back. Don’t leave,” Changgu said, fixing his gaze on Shinwon before standing up abruptly. Shinwon watched as he made his way into the back kitchen. So maybe he was safe for the time being. He wanted to get up and stop the other from harming an innocent person, but he couldn’t move. He stared into his half empty shake, appetite gone. 

A few minutes passed before Changgu returned, but once he did he looked more energized. He slipped into the booth across from Shinwon as if he’d done nothing more than use the restroom or ask a question to the waiter. When the waiter returned, they were pale, eyes glossed over. “Here’s your check,” they said with a frown.

“Thank you,” Changgu said, smiling innocently, taking the paper in his hand and looking at it. Nodding, he handed the waiter a $10. “Keep the change,” he said with a wink. 

“I didn’t know you were capable of… you know… not killing people,” Shinwon began as they walked outside.

“You’re still alive, aren’t you.”

“Only because I have something you want. Why didn’t you?”

“I’m trying to remain under the radar. If I start leaving a messy trail behind me, that won’t end well.”

Shinwon scoffed, pulling his jacket closer to him. “You’re a terrible person.”

“Thank you,” Changgu said with a grin.

-

They booked a motel for the night. If Shinwon was a captive before, now he was a fugitive. He was still being held against his will, but Changgu’s paranoia had only continued to grow. They never bothered staying in one place for long. He’d become sloppy. He hadn’t even bothered to blindfold Shinwon or keep him from knowing where they were. As it turned out, they were in a small, middle-of-nowhere town a couple hours north from home. They were in the foothills of a mountain range, and Shinwon suspected that the cabin they’d fled from had been higher up. 

While Changgu was in the shower, Shinwon looked around the room. He found a pen, but no notepad. When he reached through the drawers, he was able to find a bible. He didn’t feel good about ruining the thin pages of the volume, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He only hoped that he’d have enough magic to get his message across without passing out. He quickly flipped to a random page, clicking the pen and drawing forth as much magic as he could muster.

Then he wrote the address. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter’s smth a lil different and it’s v short uwu

Hui was slumped over his desk when he began to hear the faint humming of energy around him. He bolted up, staring at the pages of his notebook and watching as pen strokes began hurriedly appearing. They were cramped and sideways; he must’ve resorted to writing in the margins of a book. He stared in confusion at the numbers in front of him, but then he saw a street name appear. 

_ An address. _

“Hyunggu!” He called out, not daring to peel his eyes away from the page.

“Holy shit,” the other whispered as he appeared behind him.

“Call him. Call Hyuna. We need to leave right now,” Hui said, hurriedly standing up and shoving his notebook into his pocket. 

Hyunggu nodded, quickly dialing the numbers into his phone. 

-

When the first message had appeared, it had been three weeks since he’d vanished. Three weeks of having to watch as Yanan, Hyuna, and Hyojong worked themselves to the point of exhaustion trying to come up with a way to locate him while the shifters continued to scour the surrounding wilderness only to find no signs of Shinwon. Hui had been locked up in his studio for a couple days, trying to keep himself from breaking entirely, when it had happened. One moment, his notebook had been safely tucked onto one of his shelves, and the next, it had flown onto his desk, flipping open to a blank page as the words had began appearing onto it.

-

_ Hui, _

_ I don’t know if this is even working. If it’s not, then I guess I’m just an idiot writing in some random dusty notebook.  _

_ I’m alive. _

_ I have no idea where I am, but I’m still alive, okay? I hope you haven’t been losing too much sleep over me, but knowing you, you probably have been. _

_ I don’t know much, but I want to help you in any way I can.  _

_ Changgu is who is responsible for this. At first, he had me at a compound with some other vampires. He had a witch put some sort of seal on it so I couldn’t access my magic. Just recently, he had one of those vampires cart me out to who knows where. I’m at a cabin, but I couldn’t tell you how close or far it is from you. _

_ The person who took me wasn’t Changgu. It was a witch named Hwiyoung. I think some of his buddies own this place. They’re also witches, as far as I know, but I have no idea what types of things they’re capable of. All I know is that Hwiyoung is powerful.  _

_ Please be careful. I’ll try to keep you updated. _

_ S. _

_ - _

Hui punched the coordinates into his GPS as Hyunggu and Yanan slid into the car. He’d sent the same coordinates to Hyuna and Hyojong, and they’d promised they’d leave immediately. Their destination was about two and a half hours away. It was around 9 pm, so they’d have to drive quickly. Hopefully, Changgu intended on staying at the motel for enough time that they could get there. 

“He’s going to be fine. He’s stuck with us for this long. Within a few hours, he’ll be back with us, okay?” Hyunggu reached up, squeezing Yanan’s shoulder softly.

“You’re right. You’re right. He’s the most persistent person I’ve ever met,” Yanan reached up, squeezing Hyunggu’s hand before letting it go. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll get there in time. If he’s alone, like I suspect, then he won’t be able to put up much of a fight,” Hui said quietly, eyes trained on the road as they sped out of town.

“If he did anything to Shinwon, I’ll kill him,” Yanan said.

Hui nodded, not saying anything. He met Hyunggu’s eyes through the rear view mirror.  _ If only it was that easy.  _

-

_ Hui, _

_ They’ve been feeding me less. I’m still alive, but I’m tired. Changgu has been on edge lately. I don’t know what he’s worried about, but I hope it means I’ll be out of here soon. He hasn’t fed on me as much lately. He’s barely even been acknowledging me the past couple of days. I’ve had more conversations with Taeyang and Zuho combined than I have with Changgu in the past couple of days, and he’s the one who wanted me here in the first place. _

_ I’m getting the feeling that the witches don’t like Changgu. I don’t know why they’re helping him, but maybe they have a plan. I only hope that it includes keeping me alive. _

_ I miss you. I miss Hyunggu. I miss Yanan. I miss everyone so much. I’m losing my mind out here. I’m trying everything that I can, it’s been ages.  _

_ Today, I found out how long it’s actually been. _

_ All this time I’ve been gone and nobody even bothered giving me anything to keep track of the time.  _

_ God, Hui, I didn’t realize it’d been over a month. I’m sorry. I miss you and I’m trying my best to hold on. _

_ S. _

_ - _

It was dark, and for the most part the freeway was empty. Hui sped along the road as fast as his car would allow him; the last thing on his mind was being pulled over. If a cop wanted to pull over a car with two vampires and a witch inside, then that would be their mistake. Despite his tension, Yanan had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. It was probably for the best. Who knew what Changgu would do once confronted? It was better if Yanan was well rested and had full control over his magic. 

Their ears began popping as the trees began to thin and they began to emerge into the foothills of a mountain range. “Hui?” Hyunggu’s voice came softly from the back seat. He’d been quiet for most of the car ride.

“Hm?”

“Will he be alright?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s a fighter.”

“I know, but…” Hyunggu trailed off, staring down at his shoes.

“He’ll need some time. We’ll have to be patient with him. He was vague about anything Changgu did to him in his letters, so I really don’t know how bad it’s been. We’ll stick with him as long as it takes, okay?”

“Okay.”

-

_ Hui, _

_ I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should be thankful that Changgu’s been leaving me alone lately, but instead I feel like crap. I have no idea what he’s done to me, or if maybe Hwiyoung’s been drugging my food, but I’ve never felt this weak before.  _

_ I asked if I could go outside for just a second, I even said I didn’t mind if he wanted one of the witches to keep watch over me, and he snapped at me. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been an asshole pretty much this entire time, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him so angry.  _

_ Something is wrong, and whatever it is has him on edge. I have a feeling he might try to make us leave again soon, and I have no idea where he’ll take me or if I’ll even have any way to communicate with you. _

_ I’ll wait for you as long as I need to. Just please, get me out of here. _

_ S. _

-

The gps made them get off at an exit that seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. In the passenger seat, Yanan stirred. He yawned, blinking his eyes open, still disoriented by sleep. Then, he sat straight up. Hui kept his eyes focused on the road. “What is it?”

“He’s close. I can feel his magic.”

“You’re sure it’s his?” Hyunggu asked, hope filling his voice.

“It’s been a while, but we trained together for who knows how long. I’d recognize it anywhere,” Yanan’s voice was certain. 

The car seemed to collectively relax. It wasn’t a dead end. He was within their grasp after who knows how long. The first building they saw was a tiny roadside diner. It’s lights were on and there were still customers inside despite the hour. They kept driving. The next intersection had a few businesses that had closed for the night and a gas station. Outside, a couple of men were smoking cigarettes and talking amongst themselves.

The trio jumped at the sound of the GPS. 

“At the next light, turn left and the destination will be on your right.”

Hui glanced in the rear view mirror, checking to see if Hyuna was behind them still. She’d caught up with them when they were about half way there, and sure enough, he could still see the familiar shape of her headlights. Hopefully it didn’t come to needing her and Hyojong, but Hui was never sure when it came to Changgu. He’d never been sure with him. He was unpredictable at best, and downright insane at worst. He hoped he wouldn’t put up too much of a fight. 

-

_ I don’t have much time. He’s in the shower. Please Hurry.  _

Those were the words Shinwon had left, messily scrawled after writing down the address of the motel they stood before. Hui didn’t have to hear his voice to know how desperate he’d been. 

The sign of the motel was in disrepair and the ‘o’ and ‘t’ both flickered; the ‘e’ had completely burnt out. Other than their car, there were only three vehicles in the parking lot. One was a motorcycle, the other was a van that belonged to the motel, and the third was an old Saturn that had seen better days. 

“What was the number? I can unlock it,” Yanan said.

“Like in  _ Harry Potter _ ?”

“What?”

“Never mind,” Hyunggu said, laughing weakly. He was on edge. He had every reason to be. 

“Let’s just hurry. It’s 213,” Hui sighed, making his way up the stairs of the building to the balcony. Behind them, the blinds of the office drew closed. 


	18. Chapter 18

Shinwon lay awake, staring at the ceiling. The motel was a nightmare; in the room to their right, a couple were screaming at each other. It didn’t seem like they’d be a couple for much longer. He was almost positive that he’d heard glass break through the thin walls; in the room to their left, the bed frame slammed against the wall rhythmically. Next to him, Changgu snored away. As soon as he’d gotten out of the shower, he’d unceremoniously flopped into bed. He didn’t compel Shinwon into sleep to his dismay, instead telling him not to leave the motel. Sleep wouldn’t come easily, no matter how tired he was. How Changgu was able to sleep so soundly was beyond him. Between the loudness of their surroundings and the fact that he’d been on edge for days, letting himself be controlled by paranoia, there was no way he should have been so relaxed. He must have finally tired himself out. Shinwon hoped to God that his messages had gotten through to Hui, that it wasn’t all in vain. 

He stood up, sighing heavily. Changgu had told him he couldn’t leave the motel, but he hadn’t been specific about whether he meant the property or the room. He checked to make sure the other was still sound asleep before rooting through his things and finding his wallet. He wouldn’t miss a couple of dollars. He took the bills, stuffing them in his pocket and grabbing the room key before quietly making his way out of the room to find the vending machine. The air was muggy and he swatted mosquitos away from him as he shuffled down the stairs. Outside, it felt eerily quiet. Sure, there were the sounds of nature and the occasional car driving by, but it dawned on him how isolated he really was. He wasn’t locked away in a room anymore, but he was in an unfamiliar place where the only person that he knew was his captor. 

He blinked, eyes trying to focus on the vending machine. Most of the rows were empty, and he wondered when the last time it was stocked was. He finally decided on the last pack of potato skins, smoothing the bills out before feeding them into the machine. He watched as the metal wire spun, pushing the bag forward excruciatingly slow. For a moment, he thought the bag might get stuck, but then it toppled down and he reached down to retrieve it. When he turned around, the person who’d checked them into the hotel was standing right behind him. He fought the urge to scream at the sudden appearance of the wiry old woman.

“Are you okay?”

Shinwon blinked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She stared at him like she was staring through him at something that only she knew was there. “That man you came here with. He doesn’t seem like a good sort. Are you safe, young man?”

_ No. _

“Yes,” the word came out of his mouth easily, no matter how much of a lie it was.

“You’re here of your own will?”

_ No. _

“Yes. We’re just here for the night. We’ve been road tripping.”

It was a lie that Changgu had fed to him on the off chance anyone asked. Shinwon only hoped that the woman might be able to see past the words that left his lips, that she was wiser than that. Finally, she sighed, shaking her head and clucking her tongue. “Be careful. I’ve a bad feeling about that one,” and then she was shuffling away, back to the office. Shinwon stared after her. He wanted to tell her to wait, that everything wasn’t okay, but even if he wasn’t being compelled, that would only put her in danger too. 

He opened the bag of potato skins and shoved one into his mouth. They were stale. He didn’t have an appetite anymore anyways, so he tossed the bag into the trash bin before making his way back to their room. When he walked through the door, Changgu was still the same as when he’d left. He placed the change from the vending machine on the bedside table before climbing under the cheap comforter. It was musty and the fabric scratched against his skin. He wanted to go home. He stared at a water stain that covered a corner of the ceiling, mapping out every detail of it with his eyes, hoping he’d grow tired and fall asleep soon. 

Changgu rolled over, draping an arm over Shinwon’s chest. He practically held him in a death grip. Shinwon sighed heavily. The worst part is that while half of him wanted to shove the other off of him, the other half felt comforted by the gesture. It was like the smallest amount of affection fueled him with energy. He hated it. 

He eventually gave in, rolling so that he faced the other, nestling his head into his chest. He hated him, but maybe he’d be able to get some rest finally. Changgu pulled him closer, hand reaching into Shinwon’s hair and resting there. Shinwon felt his body finally relaxing. The shouting next door slipped away and his worries melted to the back of his mind until, at last, sleep took over.

-

He woke up to a hand over his mouth. His immediate instinct was to struggle and scream, but Changgu shot him a piercing glare that told him to shut up, instead pulling him out of the bed and backing away from the door. He felt like he was being held at gunpoint. He blinked wearily, trying to come to his senses and regain his balance. His eyes found the clock on the bedside table. It was after midnight. His heart pounded in his chest when he heard heavy footsteps climbing the staircase outside. Had it worked after all?

He didn’t have the time to wonder because as soon as it registered in his mind, Changgu’s teeth were sinking into his neck. Shinwon wanted to struggle, but instead he involuntarily relaxed into the other’s arms, feeling himself slump back against the other, his mind growing hazy. He was vaguely aware of the sound of the bolt of the door moving on it’s own as it clicked unlocked. 

He was met with a glowing pink pair of eyes. He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak or move. He felt Changgu release him, but he’d done what he intended. With his venom flowing through his veins, Shinwon was powerless to do anything. His legs gave out under him and he slid to the ground, watching Yanan with a stunned expression. 

“What are you gonna do?”

“Give you what you deserve and send you to the afterlife,” Yanan said, drawing forth a ball of swirling energy. 

“No,” Shinwon croaked, the word leaving his lips before he could stop it. He wanted to tell Yanan to kill the bastard and finally rid the world of existence, but he couldn’t. 

Yanan faltered, the magic slipping away, but the rage in his eyes only intensifying. “What the hell did you do to him?” 

Behind him, Hui and Hyunggu appeared in the doorway. Shinwon wanted to call for them, to tell them he was there, that he was alive. Instead, he just watched them from where he sat crumpled on the floor. 

“I thought you’d know plenty about vampires. You seem well enough versed in everything else,” Changgu said, his voice smoother than honey as he grinned at the other. 

“Yanan,” Hyunggu’s voice was soft as he rested his hand on the others’ shoulder. For a moment, Shinwon thought he was going to turn around and punch him, but he shot him a panicked expression, his rage seeming to wither into fear.

“You can’t do anything to me. He won’t let you. It took you guys damn long enough to come to his rescue, but it’s too late now. We’re bonded, and if you kill me, he won’t be able to take it. He might despise me, but once a bond is formed, it’s forever. I would have thought Hui or Kino would have warned you,” Changgu said, his words stinging. 

Shinwon watched helplessly. He wanted nothing more than to leave and rid everyone of Changgu’s existence, but he wasn’t even sure what he could do. The pain of losing Changgu would be unbearable. He was essentially invincible. The others couldn’t hurt him without hurting Shinwon too. 

“You’re outnumbered, Changgu. Hand him over and leave everybody alone,” Hui said, his voice tense. 

“Go ahead,” Changgu said simply, looking down at Shinwon with an indifferent expression. “Go running back to your lovers. I know when I’m outmatched. This isn’t over,” a smile crept at his lips and Shinwon felt dread settle in his stomach. “We’ll see how long it is before you run off to try to seek me out again.”

Shinwon didn’t move, staring up at him with a stunned expression. He was really just going to hand him over? When he continued to just sit there, Changgu fixed his eyes on him. They were furious as he said his next words, “Go. Get out of my sight before I change my mind and rip your head off in front of everyone who cares about you.”

Shinwon felt his body move involuntarily as he stumbled towards the others. Changgu hadn’t taken much, but he was still weak from the blood loss and his head spun. He collapsed and was met with Yanan’s and Hyunggu’s hands steadying him as they began to lead him outside. 

“You say this isn’t over. We’ll find a way to end this. We’ll find a way to end you without hurting him,” Hui said, sending Changgu a piercing glare before turning around and slamming the door shut behind him, leaving him standing in the middle of an empty room. 

-

Hyuna and Hyojong were waiting in the parking lot. Shinwon blinked wearily at them, unable to make sense of anything either of them were saying. They spoke to the others in hushed voices. He felt Hyuna’s hand on his neck and he winced as a sharp pain shot through his wound. He was hyper aware of the feeling of his skin knitting itself back together, but he wasn’t sure there was anything she could do about the venom in his system. Then, she was handing Yanan a vial, gesturing at Shinwon with a concerned expression on her face.

The trio clambered into the car, Hui and Hyunggu taking the front seat while Yanan guided Shinwon into the back seat. “I need you to drink this. It might hurt, and it’ll knock you out, but it’s to help with your magic. You’re pretty drained,” he said softly. Shinwon nodded, letting the other lift the vial to his lips. 

It was thick and it burned his throat, but he drank it all as he tried to push the pain to the back of his mind. As quickly as the pain faded, Shinwon felt his body grow heavy and he slumped against Yanan. By the time Hui turned the ignition of the car, he was enveloped in darkness.

-

He woke up to the warmth of the sun on his skin, a slight breeze brushing against him. He wanted to cover his face with his pillow but when he reached out, he felt nothing except for soft blades of grass. Shinwon sat up in confusion, blinking in the midday brightness. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Hyuna said. 

He was laying in the middle of the sanctuary and the woman in front of him stared at him with a slightly tilted head. He tried to comprehend… he didn’t even know what he was trying to comprehend. His mind was hazy, as if he’d lost a significant chunk of time from his memory. 

“It’ll come back soon enough,” her voice was soft. “I’m afraid that it’ll hurt though.”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

Shinwon stared at her in confusion. He didn’t know. He remembered meeting her clearly as if it’d happened yesterday, but everything after that was hazy. He remembered a cabin, he remembered an isolated feeling that hadn’t quite left him, and he remembered some sort of fight happening, but it was all fragmented. He couldn’t make sense of any of it. How much time had passed?

“The others are on their way to see you. I called them as soon as you started to stir,” she continued when Shinwon didn’t reply to her. She reached into her bag, pulling out a bottle of water and a tin, passing it over to him. “Eat. Don’t rush too much or you’ll make yourself sick.”

Shinwon reached for the water, opening it and downing half of it before Hyuna pulled it from his hands. “I said not to rush,” she said firmly. Shinwon nodded slowly, reaching for the bottle until she handed it back to him with a frown. He put the cap back on it and opened the tin. Inside was a thick broth. “I didn’t want to give you anything solid because it’s been a few days since you’ve been asleep,” she began. Shinwon shrugged, lifting the tin to his lips and beginning to slowly sip at the broth. 

“What happened to me?” He asked, lowering the tin and staring at the other in confusion. 

“He had you, Shinwon. He had you for a while.”

He nodded slowly. Somewhere deep inside, he’d known. 

“How long is a while?”

“It was over a month before we were able to find you. You were incredibly resourceful. You used communication magic. Neither Yanan or Hyojong taught you that, did they?”

“No… why can’t I remember anything right now?”

“It’s a side effect of the potion I had Yanan give you when we found you. You were incredibly weak and almost entirely drained of magic. It was to help you regain energy and health. Unfortunately, it also creates a temporary block on your mind. It’s probably for the best, though.” Her beautiful face twisted into a frown as she stared at her feet. 

“Why do you say that?” he asked, although he was sure he knew the answer.

“If you woke up remembering everything clearly, you would have panicked or went into shock or who knows what else. It’ll be easier for you this way. I promise,” she reassured. He nodded slowly, lifting the tin to his lips and taking another sip. Already, he was beginning to feel better. He tried to pace himself, but he wanted nothing more than to greedily down all the broth at once. 

“Why am I here?”

Hyuna looked around the field before letting her eyes rest back on Shinwon. “The magic here is pure and strong. My potion helped you some, but not as much as I’d hoped. When you didn’t stir after a full day, I had them bring you here. This place helped you heal more completely.”

Shinwon nodded. It would take a while for him to make sense of anything again.

Hui and Hyunggu were the first to run into the field. He looked up, seeing their figures break through the treeline in the distance, pausing as their eyes landed on Shinwon before breaking into a sprint. They stopped just short of him, and Hyunggu dropped to his knees as he covered his mouth, his eyes brimming with tears. “It’s you. It’s really you,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

“It’s me,” Shinwon said softly, reaching out to cup his cheek. Hyunggu leaned into the touch, gripping onto his hand as if he might vanish into thin air. Then, he was reaching out for him, pulling him into an embrace so tight that Shinwon struggled to breathe. He patted his back in warning. “Ki, you’re cutting off my air,” he managed. 

Hyunggu pulled back, sending him an apologetic smile. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I know.” Shinwon didn’t doubt it for a moment.

Hui moved closer to him before sinking into a crouch in front of him and staring at him for a moment. He didn’t give any warning before he dove, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and burying his face in his chest, making them both topple backwards to the ground. “I love you so much, you idiot. I got every letter you wrote,” he said, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. Shinwon snaked a hand through his hair, trying to comfort him. He didn’t remember what letters Hui was talking about, but he was sure the memories would return in time. Maybe that had been the communication magic Hyuna had been referring to. 

“Careful, he just woke up,” Hyuna scolded, her arms crossed.

“Sorry,” Hui said, sniffling as he sat up and pulled Shinwon up with him. 

“You don’t have to apologize. Never apologize to me, okay? You did amazing,” Shinwon fixed a firm gaze on Hui.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Hui said. Shinwon shook his head with a sigh before pulling him in, giving him a soft kiss. 

“I told you to stop apologizing, idiot,” he laughed. He kept laughing, and then he was crying. He wasn’t sure why he was crying. He couldn’t explain the heavy feeling that sat at the back of his mind, or why despite Hui and Hyunggu being there, he felt as if there were a void somewhere inside of him. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the reason. 

Then, Yanan was sprinting through the field to meet them. 

Shinwon willed enough strength to stand up, Hyunggu and Hui quick to steady him, but then he was sprinting through the field as fast as his legs would carry him. He slammed into Yanan’s arms with enough force that they dropped to the ground and they stared at each other as they tried to catch their breath. 

“It’s you. You’re really back,” Yanan’s voice barely came out in a whisper.

“I’m here. It’s fine,” Shinwon said, resting his forehead against Yanan’s and closing his eyes. “I won’t leave you ever again, got it?”

“You better not,” the other’s voice cracked as he reached to cup Shinwon’s cheeks. “I never wanna lose you again,” he said. He pulled Shinwon in, kissing him slowly. He laughed into the kiss, tears still running down his face. He didn’t have to have his memories back to feel some of the weight of separation lift from him. He’d thought seeing Yanan would help whatever heavy feeling was in the back of his mind completely dissipate, but it remained. Whatever it was, he’d worry about it another time. For now, he just wanted to be with the people he loved the most in the world, and he never wanted to leave any of their sides ever again. 

Behind them, Hyuna cleared her throat. Shinwon stood up on shaky legs, pulling Yanan up with him, and the pair turned to face her. “I’ve done what I can to help you, and your magic has been restored for the most part, but you need to rest. I know you probably don’t want to, but it’s crucial. You need all the energy you can have, okay?”

“What about Changgu?” Shinwon asked, doubt still hanging heavy in the back of his mind.

The group exchanged worried glances, and he could tell there was something they were keeping from him, but finally Hyuna sighed. “I don’t know where he is and he hasn’t tried coming for you yet. I suspect he’ll need time to recover as well before he can try anything. He wasn’t exactly in a great state when we found you.”

“It’s best not to worry about him right now, okay?” Hui interjected, smiling at him warmly. “Right now, we’re just glad to have you back.”

Shinwon nodded. So Changgu had escaped unharmed. He felt neither relief or disappointment at the fact. “I want you to be careful when using your magic right now,” Hyuna began again. “You’re still weak and it’ll take time to build your strength and endurance back up. Take baby steps and be patient with yourself,” she looked toward Yanan. “Make sure to keep him in line, okay?”

“That’s what I’m best at,” Yanan offered, smiling weakly as he held onto Shinwon’s hand. 

“I’ll be off now. I’m going to get some rest, and you all should consider doing the same. It’s good to have you back, Shinwon. I look forward to seeing what you can do once you’ve recovered,” Hyuna smiled at the group before turning and making her way out of the field. 

“Do you wanna go home?” Hyunggu asked, jogging over to hold onto Shinwon’s other hand.

“I’d love nothing more,” he said softly. 

“You’re included too, ‘Nannie. What’s ours is yours.”

“Then let’s go home,” Yanan replied, giving Hyunggu a smile that almost took Shinwon’s breath away. 

-

Even though he didn’t feel tired, they’d insisted on Shinwon laying down and resting as soon as they walked through the doors. It was weird being back home. He barely remembered the events of the past month and a half, but as he stepped past the threshold it finally hit him how long it had been. The dishes in the sink and the random odds and ends that were left lying around were the only signs that time had passed. A duffle bag that Shinwon didn’t recognize sat partially unzipped on the floor next to the couch.

“That’s mine. I’ve been here more than my own house lately,” Yanan said, scratching the back of his neck.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping on the couch for the past month-“

“Actually,” Hyunggu interjected, “he’s mostly been sleeping with me.” 

Shinwon blinked. That was a new development. From the way that the tips of Yanan’s ears turned slightly pink, he could tell that more had probably happened than just sleeping. 

“I trust you’ve been taking good care of him?” 

“Only the best,” Hyunggu grinned.

They made their way upstairs and Shinwon found that his room was cleaner than he’d left it. No doubt Hyunggu’s work. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be back,” he began as Shinwon reached into his drawer to pull out comfortable clothes. “I came in here every so often to make sure it didn’t get dusty, and I’d open the windows sometimes to let in fresh air. I didn’t want you to come back to a place that wasn’t comfy.”

“Thank you…” Shinwon turned, looking at him with a sad smile. “I’m gonna shower. I don’t know when the last time I was able to take a nice shower was.”

“Take all the time you need,” Hyunggu said. He was smiling but Shinwon could see the pain behind it. It’d been a long time, enough time that he felt like the distance between them would never be mended. 

Shinwon made his way into the bathroom, still unable to comprehend the time that had passed. It looked almost exactly the same as he’d left it, down to the empty soap bottles he’d stubbornly refused to throw out. When he stepped into the shower, he sunk down into the tub, burying his head in his hands as the warm water fell over him. He was back. He was alive. He’d never felt more alone in his life. 

He willed himself to stand up, grabbing a sponge and pouring way more body wash than needed onto it. He scrubbed at his skin until it hurt, but it didn’t matter how hard he tried, the marks that Changgu had left were still there. They hadn’t completely healed and they served as a cruel reminder of what actually happened. He knew that even after they healed, the other would still loom over him, haunting him like a ghost.

He didn’t realize he was crying until he heard the door open. The curtains pulled back and Hui was pulling the sponge out of his hand. His skin was splotchy and red from where he’d been scrubbing it and it stung, but none of it mattered. 

“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m here, okay? I’ve got you.” 

His voice was soft and Shinwon leaned forward, letting his head rest on Hui’s shoulder. The other just patted his back, continuing to whisper reassurances as Shinwon cried into his shoulder. He wasn’t okay, and he wasn’t sure when he would be again. 

-

When his memories began to return, it was in the form of nightmares. He’d be shaken awake only to realize he’d been crying in his sleep. Everyone tried in their own ways to comfort him. Yanan used his magic to help him relax and sleep, Hyunggu would sing softly and tell him that it would be okay because they had him now, and Hui would hold him tightly in his arms, rubbing comforting circles into his back and assuring him that he’d never let anything happen to him again. It wasn’t enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

He dreamt of burning corpses, of unfamiliar faces, of dark wisps of magic consuming him until there was nothing left. He also dreamt of Changgu’s voice and the way his silvery hair glimmered in the moonlight and the rare moments that he seemed to soften. Shinwon wanted to hate him, but as more and more memories returned, he began to realize why everybody had been so delicate with him when he’d first woken up. Whether he liked it or not, they were tied together, and he suspected that it was a bond that wouldn’t be able to be severed. He hated it. He hated that he was powerless to do anything and that Changgu had basically been able to use him to protect himself because if anyone hurt Changgu, they’d be hurting Shinwon too. 

But he hated seeing the way the others tiptoed around him even more. He’d survived for long enough. Remembering hurt like hell, but being treated like he might break at any second hurt just as bad. It just served as a cruel reminder of what had happened, of how much time had passed.

He worked to regain his strength and practice his magic, but he wasn’t even sure what he could do anymore. Everything that had happened in that month and a half would be with him for the rest of his life, and there was no way around it. No amount of potions or soothing voices could mend the piece of him that had fractured away. He smiled and cracked jokes, but he knew the others could see through it. He just wanted to be treated like a normal person again. 

He tried asking Hui to feed on him, saying he needed to feel something, but the other had quickly shut him down, his frown deep set. “It’s too soon. I don’t think you’re ready for something like that after everything that’s happened.”

“It’s my body, I’ll decide what I’m ready for,” Shinwon had said, his voice filled with irritation.

“I’m sorry, but the answer is still no.”

He missed the closeness of it, and he hated the fact that Hyunggu, Hui, and Yanan were all too afraid of hurting him that none of them would do anything more than kiss him. He’d been back for a couple of weeks but the distance between him and everyone else hadn’t seemed to shrink at all. If anything, it only grew. They could reassure him that things would get better all they wanted, but when they babied him continuously, it seemed like nothing would change. 

The worst part about it was that he’d never been the type to feel irritable or irrationally angry over trivial things, but his brain was constantly on edge, waiting for the slightest slip up. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew what it was. He was bound to Changgu in the same way that he was bound to Hui and Hyunggu. Without the other there, something was missing. When Hyojong had said a fate worse than death awaited him, he hadn’t been joking.

-

Shinwon was lounging on Hui’s bed, eyes closed as he listened to the other work on his music. Days had been blending together since he’d gotten back and he felt like he had no schedule. He’d yet to go back to work because Jinho had insisted on him resting and taking the time to heal. He practiced magic sometimes, but the sessions were short and irregular. Everybody was too worried about pushing him too hard too fast, so for the most part he was stuck at home. 

Every once in a while, Hui would replay a section before cursing and deleting the whole thing in a fit of frustration. It had sounded perfectly fine to Shinwon - more than fine if you asked him. The other was a bit too much of a perfectionist. The irritation was practically radiating off of him at this point.

“Maybe you should take a break, clear your mind for a bit and come back to it when you’re less… angry?” 

Hui jumped, seeming to have forgotten that Shinwon was even there. His face broke into an embarrassed smile, “ah, maybe you’re right.” He pushed back his chair before shuffling over and flopping down next to Shinwon. 

“What’s got you struggling so much anyways?”

Hui sighed, letting his head drop into the pillow for a moment before picking it back up and looking at Shinwon with a pout. “I know you probably think it sounds just fine-“

“More than just fine-“

“And it does sound good… but it’s not what I’m trying to go for. I want it to be upbeat, yes, but I also want it to be bittersweet. One of those fun songs that you can’t help but feel sad when listening to…”

“Interesting. I’m sure you’ll figure out what you need to do,” Shinwon said with a shrug. “You always do.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Hui sighed before leaning over and softly kissing Shinwon. 

“Lose yourself.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said before cupping Shinwon’s face and kissing him again. This time it was harder and Shinwon felt himself melting into the other's touch. He missed this. He moved so that he was on top of Hui, and when he didn’t protest, he kissed him again. And again. He covered his face in kisses and then did the same to his neck. Hui wrapped his arms around him, pulling him as close as he possibly could. When Shinwon pulled back to catch his breath, the other was staring up at him with nothing but love. 

“Is this okay?” Shinwon asked, reaching for the hem of Hui’s shirt.

“I trust you.”

“Okay.”

“Just tell me. Tell me if anything is wrong, okay?”

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot happens in this chapter whoops :”)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long asf,, like i had to break a section off to put into the next chapter bc it was going on forever,,,,, anyways have fun this chapter’s got lots of lighthearted shenanigans:3

It had been almost a month since he’d gotten back when Hyuna called, telling him to meet at her place and to bring Yanan; she’d come up with a solution. Shinwon knew where they lived, but he’d never been in the apartment that Hyojong and Hyuna shared. It was directly above the shop that Hyojong ran, and Shinwon suspected they’d used some sort of magic to make it more spacious inside. He couldn’t help but think of _Doctor Who._ Except their apartment contained no strange instruments that would help them travel in time; instead, it was comfortably furnished. Blankets were draped over the back of a couch and the shelves were filled with books. They ranged from books on magic to travel guides to volumes in languages Shinwon didn’t know. Instead of bookends, they were propped up by crystals or candles or random sculptures that the pair had acquired. 

Hyuna had told them to make themselves at home as she bounded into the kitchen, filling a kettle and brewing some tea for them. Hyojong joined them in the living room a few moments later, trailed by a pair of dogs as he plopped a heavy volume onto the table in front of them. It was Hyuna’s and she’d spent who knows how long filling it with everything she knew. When she returned with mugs, handing them to the pair, she smiled. “There’s hope for you yet, Ko Shinwon.”

“What’s the plan?” 

“What do you know about Purgatory?” She asked, fixing her gaze on Shinwon with a new intensity. 

“Like from _Supernatural?_ ”

“What about it?” Yanan asked at the same time, his eyebrows furrowing together.

“It’s similar to that, yeah. A separate dimension where souls of any sort of magical folk or creatures end up after death. It’s not a forest like in that show though. It’s more of a parallel version of our reality, populated only by the dead.”

“Okay? How is that going to help me?” 

“Well. Sometimes souls can pass over that boundary. The dead might end up here as ghosts, or in some cases… the living might find themselves trapped there.”

“Traveling between dimensions is nearly impossible though,” Yanan spoke up, staring into his mug.

“Nearly. You have no problem traveling into your little pocket dimension,” Hyuna began.

“That’s different. That’s an incredibly small space that we made ourselves. Purgatory is expansive. You don’t just open a portal there.”

“You’re right. It is expansive, and incredibly hard to do, but it’s not impossible. It just requires the right resources and the right amount of magic,” Hyojong butted in. 

“There are four of us. Two of us,” Hyuna paused gesturing between herself and Hyojong, “are incredibly experienced in magic, you have an substantial amount of experience mixed with your pure ability, and Shinwon here, while extremely inexperienced, is a ball of raw power.”

“Between the four of us, opening a gateway would be possible. We balance each other out. And if we open a gateway, we wouldn’t have to worry about harming you by harming Changgu. We can push him in. He’ll be alive, but that’s not all; if we get him into Purgatory, it should be able to sever the bond he has over you.”

Yanan and Shinwon stared at each other before turning to give Hyuna determined expressions. “What do we need to do?” 

-

It would take time. While there weren’t many materials needed for the spell that would open the boundary between their world and Purgatory, it required an extensive amount of magic. More than they had combined for the time being. Shinwon still wasn’t completely up to strength, and even then he’d need the time to really hone his magic. 

As his memories continued to return, more and more vividly each time, his resolve hardened. He wouldn’t let Changgu win. He would sit down with the others and tell them any new information that he thought might be useful. He didn’t quite understand how or why, but he was his only weakness. It was like his obsession had turned into something else by the end and Shinwon didn’t know what to make of it. Just like he didn’t know what to make of the fact that he’d wake up standing at the edge of the woods, having sleep-walked out there in a daze, his mind being consumed with a need to be near the other again. 

When he remembered the fight between Changgu and the witches - and the earthquake that he’d managed to unleash - he was quick to call up Hyojong. After all, the other knew his way around earth based magic. To say that he’d been impressed was an understatement. The other end of the line had hung in a stunned silence for long enough that Shinwon had worried that the call had dropped, but then the other was asking him all sorts of questions that he wasn’t quite sure how to answer. How had he done it? How much magic did it take? How did it feel? He tried to explain that he’d done it in a spur of the moment and passed out immediately after, but Hyojong kept speaking quickly in an excited voice without any sign of stopping until Shinwon heard the phone get yanked from him only for Hyuna’s voice to appear on the other end of the line.

“You made an earthquake?”

“That’s what I said, yes.”

“And this happened when? I know you don’t remember the exact date, but try your best to remember a general time.”

“Uh…” Shinwon paused, trying to put the hazy pieces of his memory together in an order that made sense. It had been at the cabin, and then after they left they’d been on the run for days? Maybe a couple weeks? He wasn’t completely positive. “I think it was like… a week or so before you guys found me? Maybe longer, but I’m still trying to piece things together, and I didn’t really have much of a concept of time while he had me. Why?”

He heard Hyuna hum on the other end of the line. “It adds up. There was an earthquake about eight days before we found you. It didn’t cause damage and it seemed to be low, but it could be felt all over the place and none of the scientists could figure out where it’d originated. It must have been you that we felt.”

“Wow,” Shinwon said. He wasn’t sure how to reply to that. To think that he was even capable of such a thing terrified him.

“And it would explain why it took you so long to wake back up once we had you. You must have surpassed your limits far more than you even knew. It was probably only a matter of time before you collapsed.”

“I didn’t even know it was possible to make an earthquake-“

“Where magic is involved, it’s hard to label anything as impossible. Just because something’s never been done doesn’t mean it can’t be. It just takes the right person and the right amount of magic and the right moment. I’ve heard of powerful witches creating earthquakes before, but they were much more experienced. Most of them had a couple of centuries under their belts.”

Shinwon nodded although Hyuna couldn’t see him. “I figured you guys should be the first to know.”

“And you were right. If you were capable of something of that extent, then opening the gate to Purgatory isn’t as out of reach as we thought. You have much more power in you than I realized. It’s a wonder that it took Yanan to help you gain access. Usually people with such concentrated and raw power discover their abilities quickly.”

“Well, is there anything usual about any of this? That’s the least surprising thing, if you ask me.”

“Right… Well, I’m gonna let you go now. I have a date with Hyojong. I suggest you take some time for yourself. Rest. Hang out with your loved ones. I almost have everything we need for the spell, so we just have to wait for Changgu to show up again. It’s only a matter of time,” he heard her sigh on the other end of the line.

“Okay, have fun. Talk to you later,” Shinwon said before hanging up and reaching across Hui to set his phone on the table. It was still early and he wanted to go back to sleep, but he’d called Hyojong’s number as soon as he’d woken up, while the memories were still fresh in his mind. It was a wonder that neither Hui or Hyunggu had woken up from the phone call, both of them only rolling closer to him as they continued snoring softly. He was just thankful that they’d managed to finally get past the original distance that had formed between them. He let himself settle back into the blankets, moving to wrap his arm around Hyunggu. The other wasn’t much of a cuddler, but he sighed, leaning into Shinwon’s touch. He’d missed this. He let himself drift off again to the sounds of the others breathing softly. 

-

When he woke up next, it was around noon. He felt the bed shift and warmth leave his side as Hyunggu stood up, stretching as his face scrunched into a yawn. “Morning,” Shinwon said, smiling up at the other, his voice still thick with sleep. 

“I didn’t mean to wake you up!”

“Baby, it’s noon. Don’t apologize,” Shinwon laughed as he pushed himself to a sitting position. On his other side, Hui was still snoring. Oh to be as heavy of a sleeper as Hui was. He stood up, stretching his limbs and sighing as something cracked, before shuffling to pick up the pair of sweatpants he’d left on the floor, sliding them on and then grabbing a random hoodie of Hui’s that was laying around. 

“Well, since you’re awake do you feel like going out with me? I was gonna run to a few stores and pick up some things and maybe just wander around for a bit.”

“Sure. I could use the fresh air. When did you wanna leave?”

“Does an hour sound good? Give us time to wake up and get dressed and get something in our stomachs?”

“Sounds perfect to me,” Shinwon leaned over to Hyunggu kissing his cheek. “I’m gonna start some coffee.”

“I love you, you know?”

“I know.” Shinwon grinned before shuffling out of the room. 

He made his way downstairs, reaching into the cupboards and searching for what they needed. They were almost out of sugar so he made a mental note to pick up more while they were out that day. He filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil and then debated between two roasts. He decided on the darker one because he knew Hyunggu liked his coffee stronger, so he scooped out some beans to grind them before letting them settle in the filter that rested on the coffee pot. He put way more sugar than necessary in his mug before putting a spoonful in Hyunggu’s mug as well. Then he pulled out cream for himself. This time the flavor was hazelnut; usually he bought cinnamon, but it’d been out the last time they’d gone to the store. He poured some into his mug before setting the bottle back into the fridge and then grabbing two black ‘creamer’ packets he’d set on the counter, opening them and pouring them into Hyunggu’s mug. He stared at the blood inside as the water in the kettle began to boil, wondering when he’d gotten so used to this. 

Soon enough, the kettle began whistling. He turned off the stove and began pouring the water over the filter, watching as it dripped into the pot below excruciatingly slowly. He set the kettle down once he’d poured all the water, sighing while he waited for the coffee to finish dripping and then he dumped out the grounds and put the lid on the pot, pouring coffee into the mugs in front of him. He didn’t have much of an appetite so he grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard before making his way to the table with his mug. A few minutes later, Hyunggu shuffled into the room, visibly brightening at the sight of the mug that was waiting for him. 

“My savior,” he said, immediately taking a sip from the mug and humming in bliss before joining Shinwon at the table.

“No you.”

Hyunggu had gotten dressed already and he was clad in black jeans that were torn and patched up so many times that Shinwon wondered how much of the material was the original product. He wore a faded grey tee that advertised for some place that supposedly had the best donuts in Petoskey. Shinwon wasn’t sure where that even was, but the design on the shirt was cute.

He stretched out his legs under the table, tangling them with Shinwon’s, and the pair of them were content to sit there, sipping their coffee in a comfortable silence. When they were almost done with their drinks, they looked up as Hui shuffled into the room stifling a yawn. His hair stuck up in every direction and he’d only bothered to throw on a pair of boxers before coming downstairs. 

“Morning,” Shinwon called out. “I made extra coffee just in case you woke up. It’s dark.”

“Perfect,” Hui said, making a beeline right to the pot and pouring himself a mug. He mixed a couple packets into it but otherwise left it black. “Going out today?” He asked, gesturing at Hyunggu’s outfit as he sat down at the end of the table.

“Yeah. I was just running to a few stores. It’s been so nice outside this week, so I’ve been waiting for an excuse to go out. Shinwon’s coming with me, and you can join us too if you want,” Hyunggu offered.

“Unlike you, I don’t wanna risk a bad sunburn. Have fun though~ Maybe we can all go out for dinner or something later. Call Yanan and ask if he wants to come too!” 

“That sounds perfect, babe.” 

As Shinwon stood up to take care of his mug, he grabbed Hyunggu’s empty mug as well. He slid them into the dishwasher once they were emptied. “I’m gonna get dressed real quick, but it shouldn’t take me too long to get ready.”

Hyunggu nodded, sending him a thumbs up. 

Once in his room, Shinwon washed his face and brushed his teeth. His hair stuck up in weird directions because he’d gone to bed with it still wet. He didn’t particularly feel like going through the trouble of actually styling it, so instead he wet his hands and ran them through it until he could tame the trouble strands. Satisfied, he shuffled back into his room. It was warm out, so he chose a pair of shorts and a white shirt with cutoff sleeves. The outfit made him look younger than he was, but in his mind comfort was a bigger priority than looking polished at all times. When he made his way back downstairs, Hui had Hyunggu cornered in the half-bath, coating the others’ arms in sunscreen while the other whined that he didn’t like how it felt.

“Would you rather stand outside for five minutes and then complain that you feel like your skin is melting?” 

“No but-“

“Shut up, you’re almost done,” Hui shot back, his voice impatient. 

Shinwon leaned against the doorway, stifling a laugh, and Hyunggu shot him a withering look. It only made him want to laugh more. 

“Stop teasing me,” Hyunggu pouted. 

“But it’s so much fun.”

“You would think he’d be used to sunscreen after all these years, but it’s the same argument every time.”

Hyunggu looked between Hui and Shinwon with a scandalized expression, but he was only able to hold it for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “I hate you both,” he said, resting his head against Hui’s chest as his body continued to shake with laughter. 

“We know~” Hui said, reaching up to mess with his hair. 

“Stop! You’re gonna get sunscreen in it,” Hyunggu whined, his voice muffled because he still made no move to pull away. 

Shinwon stood there in the doorway, beaming at them both. He’d missed this. Finally, Hyunggu pulled back, scrunching his face in disgust while Hui continued to cover him in sunscreen. He took the dark bottle in his hand, pouring a little more into his palm before dipping a finger in it and leaving a small white dot on the tip of Hyunggu’s nose.

“Stop messing with me! Are you almost done?”

“Yeah, stop squirming though,” Hui replied as he began to rub the last bit of sunscreen into Hyunggu’s skin. He leaned in, planting a kiss on the tip of his nose before patting his cheek softly. “Finished. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“That was awful.”

Hyunggu could complain all he wanted, but his smile was bright enough to light the entire room. “Ready?” Shinwon asked.

“Yup. I’m driving.” 

“Sounds like a plan to me~”

-

They stopped at Hyojong’s store first. Apparently the other had gotten donated a few boxes of books and he always let Hyunggu look through them and have first dibs. Hyojong had brought them both down mugs of tea as they entered the shop, and Shinwon had found himself wandering around and absentmindedly glancing at books as he sipped from his mug. He found himself on the upstairs level, face to face with the portrait of Hui. He’d almost forgotten that was there and he couldn’t help but snicker as he looked at it. 

He heard the steps creak under someone’s weight and he turned to see Hyuna approaching him. She held a dark box in her hands. “I’ve got something for you,” she said, moving to stand next to him.

“What is it?”

She held out the box, watching as Shinwon took it carefully. It was small and long, and the wood it was made of was so dark it was almost black. Cautiously, he slid the lid off of it. Inside was a slender wand made of white wood that twisted around itself. He picked it up, feeling it in his hands. It was heavy, but not uncomfortable. It was like it’d been made just for him.

“I thought witches didn’t use wands?” He was completely transfixed by it. 

“Well, many don’t because the majority of spells can be done just fine without them. But the one we’re gonna do? You’ll need this. When we open the gateway, you’ll have to be the one to do it.”

Shinwon stared at Hyuna. “Why me?”

“Call it a hunch. I’ll walk you through everything, and I can draw out the sigil on paper for you so you can memorize it. In the meantime, I was thinking I could show you how to use it? Hyojong and I fashioned this specifically for you.”

“Yeah… yeah that’d be nice… thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Both of you,” Shinwon said, peeling his eyes from the wand in his hand to give Hyuna a huge smile. Then he was pulling her in, giving her a tight hug. She laughed, resting her head against his chest. 

“You’re our friend, alright? That’s what friends are for.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you either,” he gave her a quick peck on her forehead before letting her go. 

“I won’t keep you any longer. I think your boyfriend’s done looking through the books… call me or text me about the wand later though so we can figure out a time we’re both free~” Hyuna said, grinning up at Shinwon before making her way back down the stairs. He looked back down at the wand he held before slipping it back into the safety of the box and following her back down the stairs. 

He set his empty mug on the counter next to where Hyunggu and Hyojong had left theirs, moving to wrap his arms around Hyunggu’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder while the other was engaged in a conversation with Hyojong. In front of him was a small stack of books.

“I’m surprised you chose the Bulgakov. I read a page of it and got confused.”

“I’ve been meaning to read it for a while… did you know that I met him?”

“Did you really?” Hyojong’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“No, I’m just pulling your leg,” Hyunggu laughed. “You’re sure you don’t want any money for these?”

“Seriously, they’re yours. Shinwon,” he turned to face him, grinning. “Do you like our gift?”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you both so much.”

“Oh, did they finally give you the wand?”

“You knew about it?” Hyojong and Shinwon asked in unison. Hyunggu just shook his head with a laugh. 

“You know, if you want something to be a surprise, you really shouldn’t tell Hui. I’m surprised he didn’t let something slip in front of Shinwon,” Hyunggu snickered. Hui had been at Hyuna and Hyojong’s a lot lately, and whatever relationship the three of them had had was no secret. Apparently it’d been that way for ages, but Hyojong and Hui didn’t really see each other much if Hyuna was traveling. He’d probably seen the wand lying while he was at their place and asked about it. Of course he’d have told Hyunggu, and Shinwon was surprised he hadn’t said something to him before. 

Hyojong just sighed, shaking his head. “Oh, he’ll pay for that next time he shows up.” He was smiling but his tone was threatening. 

“You do realize that he’ll probably love any sort of punishment you dish out, right?” 

“You’re right. I guess I’ll have to get real creative,” Hyojong rested his chin on his fingers and made the best show of scheming. 

“Whatever you plan on doing to Hui will have to wait, he’s ours tonight,” Shinwon pointed an accusatory finger at Hyojong. The other just laughed.

“Well, I’ll stop holding you two up. Have fun~”

“Thanks a bunch for everything~” Hyunggu called back as he grabbed Shinwon’s wrist and pulled him out of the store. 

They deposited their things in the backseat of Hyunggu’s car before making their way down the street to Adagio. Inside, Yanan was training a new person as indie rock music played on the speaker. Shinwon had never seen the person before. They were short compared to Yanan’s height and their hair was a faded orange, their natural dark roots starting to come in. It fell in messy waves over their forehead, resting atop a large pair of round glasses. There was something unmistakably human about them, and Shinwon couldn’t help but wonder if they’d stumbled upon everything by accident in the same way he had. But then he watched as they seemed to ripple out of view in the air before materializing again, nodding as Yanan talked to them as if nothing had happened. He shot Hyunggu a questioning look.

“They’re a ghost.”

“Like from Purgatory?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a weird coincidence. Why would a ghost need a job though?”

“Helps pass the time,” an unfamiliar voice called, and they looked to see the ghost leaning against the counter, eyebrows raised. “Can I get you two anything or are you gonna keep talking about me like I’m not here? Hi Kino,” they added the last part as if it were an afterthought. 

“Sorry,” Hyunggu laughed. “I’ll take a RedCapp. Make him a Cinnamon Mocha. Both of those iced, please!” 

“Gotcha,” the ghost said with a nod, pushing themselves away from the counter to start their drinks.

“Sassy.” Shinwon whispered.

“Heard that.”

“That’s Brick for ya.”

Shinwon peered at them from across the counter, an eyebrow raised. They were scrawny and short - not that either of those were bad things. They didn’t look like someone who’d be named Brick. “Tell me about your name?” Shinwon asked, leaning against the counter and watching them with curiosity. 

“When I died, I lost all memories of my life before. Sometimes people remember, sometimes they don’t. I was just unlucky I guess… Maybe I was lucky though. It’s not like I remember anything from before. For all I know my life coulda been bad,” they shrugged. “When I woke up, I couldn’t remember who I was. Since I didn’t have a name, I just chose the first object I saw. Which was a brick.”

“That’s a way to do it,” he nodded. He wanted to ask them about Purgatory, but he held back. He didn’t know if that would be touchy or crossing lines. He didn’t know what types of horrors they might have experienced there even if they were already dead. He wanted to sever his bond with Changgu, but he wasn’t even entirely sure if he was ready to send him to such a place. Then again, there weren't any other choices. 

“Here’s your baby drink and here’s your RedCap,” they said, placing the cups on the counter. Hyunggu laughed, taking his cup and thanking Brick. Shinwon reached for his cup after a moment, his mind still on Purgatory. What would Changgu see once he got there? Would he try to find a way out? Would he even be able to get back out?

“You look like you’re having an existential crisis.”

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Brick’s voice. Behind them, Yanan sighed. Hyunggu gave a reassuring smile, placing a gentle hand on Shinwon’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go so ‘Nannie can finish training them.”

“See ya around,” the barista called before turning back to face Yanan. The other spoke to them in a soft voice and Shinwon had the feeling that the conversation had turned away from coffee. He gave a small wave at the pair before letting Hyunggu lead him out of the shop.

Outside, Hyunggu pulled him to a bench, sitting down next to him. The sun felt nice on his skin. “Hey. Everything is going to work out fine, alright? And don’t worry about Brick. They’re a fighter. Purgatory sounds scary, but from what they told me, it looks a lot like our world. If you’re worried about Changgu, he’ll be fine.”

Shinwon sighed, staring at his cup. “I hate that I’m worried about him. I want something to happen to him, but I know it’ll only hurt.”

“Hey. It’s alright. Nobody has ever held that against you because none of this is your fault.”

“Sometimes it feels like it is.” Hyunggu shot him a look, getting ready to argue with him, but he continued speaking before the other could form words. “None of this would have happened if I’d moved here. If I wasn’t around Changgu wouldn’t have come back to harass everyone. When he got me, I was too tired to put up any sort of fight. I just let him feed on me without arguing about it. I let him control me.”

“Shinwon. Look at me.” Hyunggu had set his coffee down on the sidewalk in front of them, turning to face him and holding his shoulders with his hands. “Nobody blames you for any of this. Changgu’s been known to periodically lurk and cause trouble. It was only a matter of time before he found an excuse to stir things up again. If not you, it would have been someone else.”

Hyunggu’s words only offered some comfort, but Shinwon nodded, leaning into his touch. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Wanna go raid the thrift store?”

“That would be nice,” Shinwon smiled, letting Hyunggu pull him up. 

The pair wandered down the street, basking in the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the breeze. Sometimes, things felt almost normal again. Walking hand in hand with Hyunggu with iced coffees while the world kept moving around them was one of those times. Shinwon could almost fool himself into thinking everything would be fine. He couldn’t shake the feeling in his gut that no spell or gateway to another dimension would be able to rid them of Changgu. But he was with Hyunggu right now and the weather was beautiful and the other kept looking at him like he held the universe and all its stars within him and he told himself that he had to hang onto hope. If not for himself, then for Hyunggu. For Hui. For Yanan. For everybody else that cared about them. 

The inside of the thrift store was cool. The last time he’d been there was ages ago. It’d been before Changgu had originally gotten him. He couldn’t help but smile at the memory. Him, Hui, Hyunggu, and Yanan all crammed into a fitting room, giggling like teenagers as they kept getting Yanan to try on the most ridiculous outfits. The worst part was that the other had looked absolutely beautiful no matter what they threw at him. He remembered the way Yanan had yelped, turning red when Hyunggu had pinched his ass, he remembered peppering his face in kisses and wanting to take him right there in the fitting room. He remembered the four of them unceremoniously scrambling out and making their purchases in a hurry, only to go back home, unable to keep their hands off of each other for any longer. He missed it. 

The thrift store had since been rearranged. It was summer now and most of the jackets and long-sleeved items had been stored away, swapped with cooler clothes. There were a few rain jackets and windbreakers displayed, but other than that, it was mostly tee shirts and shorts and jeans and flannels. Shinwon wandered over to the rack with the jackets, his eye catching a green jacket. He picked it up and then grinned. It was a froggy rain jacket, the hood of it having the eyes and smile. 

“You should get this. It looks like it’d fit you.”

Hyunggu eyed the jacket with a raised eyebrow. “Really? That looks like something a child would wear, Shinwon.”

“You’d look cute in it.”

The other continued to stare at it with narrowed eyes before sighing and taking it. “I’ll try it on. No promises though.” Ah, sweet victory. No promises usually meant he’d won. 

The pair split up, making their ways down the cluttered aisles. Shinwon browsed through racks of tees. They were organized by color and then again by size. He found a couple shirts in his size or larger with bands he vaguely knew and he grabbed them. He also found a button down with vertical stripes in clashing colors. It wasn’t the type of thing he normally wore, but he couldn’t help but be drawn to it. He grabbed it, deciding he’d try it on at least and see what Hyunggu thought of it. He glanced up to see the other’s head poking up over a rack. He was looking at… Shinwon wasn’t sure what he’d expected but the other was looking through a rack of skirts with an intensity that said he was up to no good.

Hyunggu must have felt Shinwon staring at him because he looked up, meeting his eyes with a grin. He held up a black flowy skirt that was pretty long and then pointed at him from across the store. 

“Absolutely not,” Shinwon mouthed.

Hyunggu held up the skirt again, pointing at Shinwon, before reaching for another skirt that was shorter and pleated and pointing at himself. Shinwon pinched the bridge of his nose and across the store he could hear a soft, but victorious “Yes!” 

“You’re the one who went on a tangent about how clothing shouldn’t be gendered that one time. I just agreed,” Hyunggu said once they were inside a fitting room.

“A skirt though? I don’t know if I’m built right for that. I’ll probably look ridiculous,” Shinwon whined, taking the skirt as Hyunggu handed it to him. 

“Nonsense. I think you’ll look cute as hell. Put on one of the shirts you’re holding and tuck it in!”

Shinwon rolled his eyes, pulling his pants off with a grumble. Hyunggu could say he’d look cute all he wanted, but he doubted there was any way he’d look good. Hyunggu would probably look great in the one he’d picked out because he looked great in everything he wore, but doubt hung heavily in the back of his mind when it came to himself. He pulled on the skirt before changing into one of the shirts he’d grabbed. He picked randomly from the pile and ended up with a white tee with an album cover from Queen across the front of it. He did as Hyunggu instructed and tucked it into the skirt. He felt exposed. He stared at the wall of the dressing room because he wasn’t sure if he was more afraid of facing Hyunggu or looking in the mirror.

“Lemme see!” Hyunggu’s voice came after a moment, and then his hands were on his shoulders turning him around. 

Shinwon balked when he saw the other. He was clad in the same pleated skirt and a white button down shirt. The skirt rested at about mid thigh and upon closer look the fabric was plaid. He looked like a goddamn schoolgirl. He looked adorable. Shinwon buried his face in his hands, his ears heating up. Maybe they were fated to always be in shambles by the end of their trips to the thrift store. Maybe the owner put something in the air. Shinwon didn’t know because all he could think about was how cute and unashamed Hyunggu was. 

“You look pretty!” Hyunggu said, reaching for him to adjust where the skirt laid and smooth out his shirt. “I mean it Shinwon. You should look in the mirror!”

“I think you’ve got me beat,” Shinwon managed to get out, but he turned to face the glass anyways. 

He hated to admit it, but Hyunggu was right. It was a cute outfit, and he managed to not look like a complete idiot. He felt his face heat up even more. There was still something weird about wearing a skirt, though. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t have to buy it if you don’t wanna, ‘Wonnie. I just wanted to see you in a skirt. But at least let me take a pic before you change!”

“Why do you need a picture-“

“Wouldn’t you like to know~” Hyunggu teased, before pulling him close by the waist and pulling out his phone to snap a mirror selfie of the pair of them. “Hui won’t know how to act when I send him this.”

“Got plans for when we get home already?”

“Oh yeah I do~” his grin was contagious. 

They changed out of their skirts to try on the rest of their items. Most of the shirts Shinwon grabbed fit him fine so he’d folded them neatly in a pile to take to the counter. He was trying on the shirt with the vertical stripes. It was mostly purple and yellow with a few black and white stripes. It was an interesting color scheme, and he wasn’t particularly fond of purple but something about it still caught his eye. “What do you think?”

Hyunggu turned to face him, looking him up and down. “I like it. It’s different. I wouldn’t have expected you to grab that,” he said. “You should get it. It’d be fun to have!”

“Okay,” Shinwon nodded.

Hyunggu had changed back into his own clothes and was now pulling on the froggy jacket over his shirt. It fit him perfectly and Shinwon couldn’t help but smile at him like an idiot. He was cute.

“I feel like a baby.”

“You’re my baby though.”

“Shut up,” Hyunggu said, bursting into a laugh that was contagious, burying his head in Shinwon’s shoulder. “And stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what.”

“Like a lovestruck idiot.”

“Well, I hate to break it to ya, but I kinda am a lovestruck idiot,” Shinwon laughed, lightly turning Hyunggu’s face up so he could pull him into a soft kiss. 

“I’ll get the jacket, but only because you like it so much,” Hyunggu said, shaking his head with a sigh. 

The pair of them ended up leaving with an almost full bag.

As much as Shinwon wanted to go right home, they still needed to pick up groceries. The pair of them practically ran through the grocery store, haphazardly tossing what they needed into a basket and checking out in record time. Shinwon wasn’t the only one who was eager, it seemed. How either of them were supposed to sit through dinner was a mystery to Shinwon but he guessed they’d cross that river when they got there. 

-

As they pulled into the driveway, they could see Yanan’s car already parked outside. Inside, Yanan sat awkwardly on the piano bench. He was wearing a goddamn suit and looked like a kid about to go to prom. He smiled at them when they came through the door.

“Hui said to dress nice because he was taking us somewhere fancy,” he said as explanation. Shinwon and Hyunggu cast each other a glance that said the same thing. No way either of them would make it through a fancy dinner. 

“Sounds like a plan,” Hyunggu said, grabbing onto Shinwon’s wrist and pulling him upstairs, his voice just slightly higher than usual. If Yanan noticed anything, then he did a good job of hiding it. 

Shinwon barely had the time to close his door behind them before Hyunggu was on him, his lips soft against his own and his body pressing him into the door. 

“Do we really have time for this,” Shinwon managed as the other moved to begin kissing his neck. 

“We’ll make time,” Hyunggu said simply.

-

It’d been one of those rare times when Hyunggu was the needier one, and Shinwon could barely keep up with him as he’d sunk down onto him. He wasn’t used to being the one giving, and he wasn’t sure how long he’d even last with Hyunggu riding him like his life depended on it. He didn’t have his venom in his system to help keep him under control, so it took all his willpower to not slip over the edge too soon. 

Hyunggu’s lips had been hot against his skin, leaving little hickies all over his chest, and every time his tongue had swirled across his nipple, Shinwon had been worried that it might be too much. He wrapped his hand around the other’s cock, hoping that he was as close as he was. Hyunggu let out a moan at the sudden contact, burying his face in Shinwon’s neck. Then he moved to bring him into a deep kiss. His rhythm was getting sloppier.

Hyunggu pulled out of the kiss, staring at Shinwon with wide eyes. “I’m-“ he started to speak but his sentence was lost in a moan as Shinwon bucked his hips up to meet him as he sank back down. He gripped his shoulders as he rode out the orgasm and the feeling of him tightening around Shinwon was enough to push him over the edge. He was aware of Hyunggu’s fingers softly moving through his hair as he came and then the gentle touch of his lips as he began peppering his face in soft kisses.

“You’re amazing, Shinwon,” he managed as they both struggled to catch their breath. 

“I know.”

Just as quickly, Hyunggu was pulling off of him. As much as Shinwon wanted to just lay there, tangled in the other, he knew that they needed to clean up so that they could go to dinner. They stepped into the shower together, neither of them speaking, but it was a comfortable silence. They passed bottles of soap to each other massaged shampoo into each other’s hair, laughing at the bubbles that formed. 

They hurried to dry their hair, not bothering to do much in the way of styling it and then Hyunggu wandered to his own room to figure out what to wear, leaving Shinwon on his own. He didn’t have much in the way of nice clothes. He pulled out the single pair of dress pants he owned and then looked through his closet. He had a few white button downs but he wasn’t feeling them. He looked at the bag he’d left in the corner of his room with the striped button down shirt from the thrift store. It _was_ satin, so that was fancy right? He grabbed it, pulling it on and buttoning it up before tucking in the bottom partially. He stepped back, looking at himself in the mirror. 

“How did I know you’d go for that shirt,” Hyunggu’s voice came from the doorway. He was leaning against it, now clad in a light blue suit with a pink dress shirt tucked in neatly. 

“What can I say, it keeps calling to me.”

“Come on, let’s not keep Hui and Yanan waiting any longer,” Hyunggu laughed before grabbing Shinwon’s wrist and pulling him downstairs.

In the living room, Yanan had moved to the couch, and him and Hui laughed as they drank wine. “Since y’all took so long, one of you can drive,” the shorter giggled, drinking the remainder of his glass. 

“I guess we sorta deserve that…” Shinwon scratched the back of his neck, his face heating up in embarrassment.

“Oh don’t worry. You’ll make up for it,” Yanan said. The smile he shot Hyunggu and Shinwon had them looking between each other in alarm. 

The four of them piled into Shinwon’s car, Hui climbing into the passenger seat to direct Shinwon on where to go. In the back seat, Hyunggu and Yanan leaned against each other, laughing about something. Hui kept reaching for Shinwon’s hand. The place they were going was out of town, but it wasn’t far. Apparently it was a good spot for magical folk of all sorts, and its seclusion meant that they didn’t have to worry about cloaking it from humans. 

As he drove down the winding road through the trees, Shinwon felt a sense of deja vu. He pushed the unnerving feeling that crept down his spine to the back of his mind. He didn’t need to worry anymore. Everything was fine and he had his three favorite people in the car with him. They wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

He was shaken out of his daze by a hand on his shoulder and he met Hyunggu’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “I’ve got you,” he said softly. Shinwon reached up, giving his hand a quick squeeze before training his eyes back on the road.

“Thank you,” he said.

After another ten or so minutes of driving through nothing but wilderness, Hui directed Shinwon to turn off of the main road onto a dirt road that was almost too narrow to be considered a road. At first, Shinwon got the sense that he was driving down someone’s drive way, but then as they started to get farther from the main road, he noticed lanterns and lights strung overhead between the trees. The dirt road opened up into a big field. There were a handful of other cars parked in the dirt spots, and in the center of the clearing there was a building with a patio attached to it. Shinwon could hear live music drifting through the air.

“Wow.”

“Thought you’d like it,” Hui said with a grin.

“I’m a little disappointed you didn’t bring me here sooner,” Shinwon said with a huff. Hui laughed, leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Well, complain later. Let’s go! I’ve got reservations for us!”

“How fancy.”

“It’s because he’s rich,” Yanan said from the backseat, his expression blank. Everyone looked between each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. 

“Alright, let's go then,” Shinwon said, taking the keys out of the ignition and climbing out of the car. He let Hui lead the way up to the building. The outside walls were made of brick and plants hung down in places, little flowers blooming from the vines. There wasn’t any sign indicating a name, but a chalkboard on the outside said read ‘All Manner of Folk Welcome’ in sprawling cursive. It was framed with little drawings of flowers that distinctly reminded Shinwon of Hyunggu. 

As they walked to the door, a host held it open, asking for the name before reaching for menus and leading them through the building and up a set of stairs. They emerged onto the roof of the building; Shinwon hadn’t even noticed that there was seating there before. They were seated at a table near a stage where currently a string bass and piano duo were performing. The host then returned with two bottles of wine, pouring glasses for Shinwon and Yanan and placing the first bottle between them before doing the same for Hui and Kino. Then he left them to look at the menus. 

Hui reached across the table, clinking his glass against everyone else’s before eagerly taking a sip. The rest followed suit. Shinwon wasn’t fond of wine. In fact, he hated it. There was no way what he was drinking was actually wine. It was sweet and smooth on his tongue. He picked up the bottle in front of him, looking at it and trying to discover its secrets. 

“Fairy wine~”

“You’re telling me fairies are real too?” 

“No,” Hui began with a laugh. “That’s just what it’s called. It’s made with magic though. The spell on it makes it so that it tastes like whatever the person drinking it wants it to.”

“Sounds expensive,” Shinwon said, lifting the glass to his lips again. This time he specifically thought of blueberry lemonade. He widened his eyes when he was met with the same flavor he remembered drinking as a kid. “Wow.”

Across the rooftop he met eyes with a familiar woman. Her eyebrows shot up as she saw him and he choked on his wine. He met eyes with Hyunggu, who stared at him with a concerned expression, but when he looked back to where the woman had been standing, she was gone. “Are you okay?”

“I… I thought I saw someone…”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. I think…” Shinwon trailed off. He didn’t want to worry the others, but it was clear they were already worried. He sighed, shaking his head. “I think it was one of the vampires from Changgu’s compound…”

Yanan looked like he was going to break his glass and Hui and Hyunggu looked around the space. 

“I… I don’t think we need to worry about her. If I remember correctly, her and the people she was with left Changgu. They didn’t care for the witches he was associating with.”

“That’s right,” a smooth voice came from behind him. Shinwon tensed as he saw a slender hand rest on his shoulder. “Shinwon, right?”

Hui and Hyunggu didn’t move from their seats, but they stared at the woman behind him with warning gazes. Yanan looked like he was about to launch himself across the table at her. Shinwon turned to look up at her. She had long dark hair with streaks of silver, pulled back into a messy updo. He recognized her as the vampire who’d killed Taeyang. He nodded after a moment.

“Oh, you don’t have to look so terrified. I’m not going to harm you. It’s a complete coincidence that we ran into each other here,” she said, shrugging. “But if it’ll offer you any comfort, none of us have seen Changgu since everything happened. I’ll leave you guys to it,” she lifted her hand off of Shinwon’s shoulder. Then, she was gone.

The table collectively let out a sigh of relief. 

“So much for a nice night,” Hui said, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a huge gulp of the dark liquid inside. 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just a little shaken. I trust her though,” Shinwon said. He picked up the menu, opening it and trying to pick out something. He could feel the others’ eyes on him, but he didn’t look back up at them. He didn’t want them worrying unnecessarily. When the waiter returned, they placed their orders. 

As he walked away, Shinwon made a show of stretching. “I’m assuming you’re staying over tonight?” He asked.

Yanan nodded, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip, but then he sputtered, shooting Shinwon a look as he rested his leg on his lap. “See where that gets you.”

“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Shinwon said, his lips quirking into a smile as he moved his foot around. Next to him, Hui let out a low whistle, his eyebrows shooting up as he lifted his glass to his lips. When Shinwon returned his gaze to Yanan, the other was staring at his glass. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing,” Yanan said. He’d managed to regain his composure enough that his expression was blank as he fixed his eyes on Shinwon.

“I’ll see about that,” Shinwon replied, lifting his glass to his lips. 

In hindsight, maybe taking a drink of wine after a witch had just been staring at his glass wasn’t his best idea. He felt a jolt shoot through his body, and his hair stood on end for a moment, but just as quickly it was gone.

“You shocked me,” he pouted. Yanan just shrugged. 

“I’d like to remind you that it took us a bit to get all the way out here. We won’t be back home for a while,” Hui said, looking between Yanan and Shinwon, a warning expression in his eyes.

“Sorry,” they both replied in unison. Shinwon moved his leg from Yanan’s lap and the other sighed, snapping his finger. He felt a rush as magic seemed to dissipate from his skin; he hadn’t even noticed it was there. He wondered what Yanan had been planning, but he supposed some things were better left alone. 

In the distance, Shinwon swore he heard the low rumble of thunder. “Is it alright that we’re out here? I didn’t know it was going to storm.”

Hui nodded. “You watch lots of sci-fi. There’s like a magical force field over the roof. It’ll keep us dry and we can enjoy the weather!”

“Oh. Sounds advanced.”

“It’s actually pretty easy. You could definitely do it with the help of Hyuna,” Yanan began.

“Huh. I’ll have to ask her about that sometime then,” Shinwon lifted his wine back to his lips. He furrowed his brows, staring at the glass. He couldn’t describe the taste he was met with. It wasn’t like anything he’d had before and he hadn’t been thinking of any particular flavor. It was strong and bitter and earthy, but not in the same way as coffee. He took another sip, trying to make sense of it. “Hey. Random question?”

“What’s up?” Hui turned to face Shinwon and across the table and Hyunggu stared at him with a tilted head.

“What does…” he paused, trying to think of the least weird way to word the question, but there weren’t a lot of options. Eventually, he just sighed, shaking his head. “Human blood has a different taste when you’re a vampire, right? What does it taste like?”

Hui and Hyunggu blinked at him and from across the table, Yanan’s eyebrows shot up. “Why? You plan on joining them soon?” 

“Shut up,” Shinwon nudged Yanan’s foot under the table. “No… I just… my wine. I wasn’t thinking of anything specific and I got this weird flavor. It was familiar but at the same time, it wasn’t like anything I’d had before,” he shrugged. 

“Well…” Hui pursed his lips, starting at his glass, “I’ve never really put much thought into how it tastes before… It can vary from person to person but I guess it’s kinda bitter?”

Hyunggu nodded. “It depends a lot on the person’s diet and health and other factors, but for most people it’s just bitter. If you’re a huge health nut it’s less bitter and more… earthy? Like tea but not. If your diet is complete garbage it’s super bitter to the point it’s almost rancid though,” he scrunched his face. 

“Oh.” Shinwon stared at his glass. Why was his brain making him taste blood? It wasn’t a particularly bad flavor, but he’d never felt the need to have one of the others turn him before and he’d never really been one to fantasize about being a vampire. He thought of the blueberry lemonade again, taking a sip of the wine. The flavor seemed wrong though, like it was too sweet. He set his glass back on the table and reached for his glass of water instead. 

He didn’t miss the weight of the other three’s gazes on him. He would have been happy to change the subject, in fact he was intending on doing just that when he opened his mouth to speak, but Hui was quicker than him.

“You’re worried it has something to do with him, aren’t you.”

“I… yeah… I guess I am.”

“Shinwon, look at me. We won’t let him hurt you okay? Hyuna’s spell is going to work because she’s one of the most stubborn witches I know, and he won’t be a problem for anybody anymore, okay?”

“Okay.”

Hui’s words were only somewhat comforting. Shinwon couldn’t shake the dread that had settled over him. He just wanted to go home and to distract himself and focus on Hui and Hyunggu and Yanan. He wanted to watch the world and all of its worries melt away until all that was left was the four of them. But instead he was at a fancy restaurant trying to force a smile and pretend like everything he’d been working to distance himself from hadn’t just come rushing back. 

“We can go home if you need to.”

Shinwon shook his head. “I can’t change what happened. It’s horrible, but I can’t change any of it. But I wish I could go just one day without having to worry about Changgu or worry about randomly remembering something that happened, or apparently running into someone from my time there,” he sighed, leaning back in his seat and looking up at the sky. The clouds had grown thicker and he wasn’t sure if they were actually really dark or if it was because the sun was also setting. The air felt so heavy that it was only a matter of time before it would burst open. 

“Okay. How about this. For the rest of the night, no thinking about Changgu. The four of us are here together, so let’s just have a nice night,” Yanan said, resting his chin in his hands as he sent Shinwon a determined look.

“That would be nice.”

“We’ll make sure you’re alright. This better be the best goddamn date of your life starting now,” Hui said, grinning and resting a hand on Shinwon’s knee, squeezing it before letting go to take another sip of his wine. 

“Alright. No more talking about the Dark Lord. Only you guys.”

Hyunggu spat out his wine. “You did not just refer to him as the Dark Lord.”

“Who?” Shinwon stared at the other blankly, but he was only able to hold eye contact for a handful of seconds before bursting into laughter. 

The waiter returned, plates balanced across his arms. He began placing the dishes in front of each them. Shinwon got a steak, Hui got some sort of pasta, Hyunggu had a bowl of soup with a sandwich, and Yanan had… Shinwon wasn’t really sure what the hell Yanan had, and he jumped back in his chair when the waiter leaned down and held his hand over Yanan’s plate, lighting it on fire. The flames died down quickly enough, but Shinwon could still feel the heat on his face. The waiter gave a quick bow, walking away as if he’d done nothing out of the ordinary. Yanan grabbed his fork and immediately took a bite, unphased.

“What the hell was that?”

“You know they use fire at normal human restaurants too, right?”

“Yeah, but not ever that much! He didn’t even give any warning!” 

“You can use fire too, you know?”

“That’s not the point,” Shinwon huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Yanan stared at him, eyebrow raised, before taking another fork full and shoving it into his mouth. 

Next to him, Hui hummed as he took a mouthful of pasta, his eyes closed in bliss. “I don’t know why I haven’t thought to bring you guys here more often,” he said. 

“Yeah, I’m a little shocked. After how you acted the first time we came here, I thought this would become your new favorite spot,” Hyunggu replied, softly blowing at his spoon before taking a small bite. His tongue darted out as he licked his lips. Shinwon caught himself staring for too long. He had no business being so cute when he was just eating like a normal person. Hyunggu met his eyes and he knew he’d been caught. He winked at him from across the table and Shinwon buried his face in his hands. The other just shook his head, laughing as he took another spoonful. 

When Shinwon finally lifted up his fork to take a bite, his eyebrows shot into the air. His steak was made almost too perfectly. Even though the waiter had asked him how he’d wanted it done, he was still surprised at how good it was. He quickly shoveled bites into his mouth, embarrassment forgotten. “I’m disappointed that we’ve been together for what - six months - I dunno I’m bad at math, and this is the first time you’ve brought me here.”

Hui shrugged, laughing. Overhead, thunder roared, and when Shinwon looked up he gasped. He hadn’t noticed when it’d started to rain, but it was falling down heavily, sliding around the barrier in a way that made it seem like they were in a bubble submerged in a waterfall. It was incredible to Shinwon, but everyone else seemed completely unphased, continuing to eat their meal and only glancing up every so often when there was a flash of lightning or a rumble of thunder. 

“Wow.”

“Cool, right?”

“You know, I don’t see any reason why I’d need to know how to do this, but I definitely am gonna have to bug Hyuna about it,” Shinwon said, tearing his eyes away from the sky to look at the others. 

“Oh, she’ll love that for sure,” Hui grinned.

They stayed for a little longer after they finished their meals, wanting to finish the bottles of wine in front of them, and then Hui bought a couple more bottles to take home with them. As they made their way back to the car, Hui, Yanan and Hyunggu bickered about who should sober up to drive. While Hui and Hyunggu were able to because of weird vampire stuff, apparently Yanan had a spell for it as well. Shinwon was just glad he didn’t know the spell because he didn’t particularly feel like driving. Eventually, they ended up deciding on Hyunggu. When the other had tried protesting, Hui and Yanan hadn’t hesitated to bring up the fact that he’d kept them waiting earlier. The other had just sighed, rolling his eyes as he willed himself to sober up. The group piled back into the car, Hui taking shotgun while Shinwon and Yanan climbed into the back. 

Shinwon wasn’t drunk by any means but the alcohol in his system made him feel lighter and he leaned against Yanan, gripping onto his hand and tracing his veins lightly with a finger. For the first few minutes, the group drove in silence, the only sound being the rain beating against the windshield and the rhythmic clicking of the wipers. Shinwon still held onto Yanan’s hand and the other had leaned his head against his shoulder, letting his eyes flutter shut. 

But then Yanan turned his head, planting a soft kiss against his jaw. Shinwon turned his head just enough to meet his lips in a soft kiss. He could still taste the wine on the other’s lips and he melted into his touch. Yanan brought his hands up to cup Shinwon’s cheeks, fingers tangling into his hair. Their noses bumped together hard as Hyunggu swerved.

“Sorry, there was a rabbit,” he said innocently, but the look in his eyes in the rear view mirror said that it’d been intentional. In the passenger seat, Hui was trying not to laugh. 

For a moment, Yanan and Shinwon just stared at each other. Then they burst into laughter. “I bet now he really wishes he wasn’t the one driving,” Yanan whispered, but his voice was clearly audible. 

“This isn’t fair-“

“Eyes on the road, Hyunggu,” Hui reached over, poking the other in the shoulder.

“Hey. You had your turn earlier. Now it’s my turn,” Yanan said. 

“I didn’t know you guys were taking turns… If you ask me, there’s plenty to go around,” Shinwon shrugged. He was suddenly aware of three sets of eyes burning holes into his being. Then he heard the engine rev up as Hyunggu pressed his foot harder on the accelerator. 


	20. Chapter 20

Shinwon wasn’t sure at what point Hui and Yanan had decided to sober up. All he knew was that they’d seemed to have made a silent agreement in the car, and as they were walking back up to the house, Shinwon felt his skin prickle as Yanan sent a wave of energy through him. He blinked, his eyes refocusing as the fuzzy feeling that had clouded his head suddenly lifted away. “You coulda at least warned me before doing that,” he pouted, but he was glad that the other had done it. 

Once inside, nobody said anything to each other. Hui silently walked into the kitchen to set down the wine bottles they’d bought, his back rigid. Yanan and Hyunggu kept looking between each other and at Shinwon. He swallowed, his mouth going dry. He was in for it, wasn’t he. 

He didn’t have to wait long for an answer, because then Hui was walking back out into the living room and taking Shinwon by the hand, leading him upstairs. The other two followed, silently. When they entered Hui’s room, he was gently pushed down onto the bed. Hui disappeared for a moment and Yanan and Hyunggu climbed in on either side of him. He looked between them with his breath held, and then he watched with wide eyes as they leaned across him and caught each other in a deep kiss. Hyunggu moaned softly against Yanan’s lips and Yanan tangled his fingers in Hyunggu’s hair; Shinwon didn’t need to have alcohol in his system anymore to feel completely intoxicated. When they pulled apart, they both turned to stare at him, their gazes heavy and their lips swollen. They were beautiful. 

Then, he was being pushed down by both sets of hands. Hyunggu laid down next to him, resting on his side and staring at him with the same heavy gaze as Yanan climbed onto his lap, straddling him as he leaned down to capture him in a deep kiss. His lips were wet against his own and he could taste Hyunggu on him. Shinwon wrapped his hands around the back of Yanan’s neck, pulling him closer. He gasped when the other rocked his hips against him, and he wasn’t surprised when he felt how hard he already was. He could feel the weight of Hyunggu’s gaze on him and if anything, it only turned him on more.

When Yanan pulled away from his lips to begin kissing his jaw and neck, Shinwon turned his head, reaching for Hyunggu. The other was more than willing to close the distance between them, greedily kissing him. His tongue moved across his lips in a way that drove Shinwon mad. Between the two of them, he didn’t hear the soft shuffle of Hui’s footsteps as he returned to the room; the bed sunk down as he joined them, laying down on the other side of Shinwon. 

When Yanan and Hyunggu pulled away from him in unison, he almost whined. Almost. When Hui leaned down, slowly sinking his fangs into his neck, he did whine. Hui barely took anything, only drinking long enough to get his venom into Shinwon’s system. It worked quickly and Shinwon blinked rapidly, fighting to hold onto his focus. When Hui pulled back, he gently kissed the wound, licking away the blood that escaped. Shinwon was hyper aware of every little thing the other did now, and if it weren’t for the fact that he was staring at Hyunggu and still had Yanan straddling him, he’d probably only be able to think of Hui. 

As if on cue, Yanan pressed his hand against the small punctures, and Shinwon felt his skin knitting back together. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant and he found himself sighing at the sensation. When Yanan pulled back this time though, he moved his hands to Shinwon’s chest, pulling at the buttons lazily. Either he wanted to be a tease or he was really good at hiding any urgency he may have had. Shinwon suspected it was a little bit of both. 

On his right, Hyunggu was unbuttoning his own shirt, pulling at the buttons so quickly that Shinwon was surprised none of them broke off. On his left, Hui watched them all with dark eyes; they hadn’t returned back to their usual color yet and his tongue kept darting between his lips as if he was searching for any possible drop of blood he might have missed. In front of him, Yanan pulled at the last button, finally tugging the shirt off of Shinwon. 

Shinwon reached for Yanan’s tie, pulling him in by it to kiss him harshly, their teeth hitting together awkwardly. The other gasped at the sudden movement, but then leaned into the kiss, his tongue tracing the bottom of Shinwon’s lip before he softly bit down. It earned a moan, but Shinwon was beyond the point of being embarrassed. He pulled at the tie, working to loosen it without accidentally choking Yanan (although he was sure the other probably would be into that type of thing), before finally sliding it off and working at the buttons of his shirt. 

Where Yanan had been slow and teasing, Shinwon had no patience. His hands shook as he quickly fumbled at the buttons and then he took Yanan’s shirt, balling it up and throwing it in the general direction of the door. 

Hui and Hyunggu had shifted, leaning behind Shinwon and kissing each other slowly. When it came to each other, they were never in a hurry. They had all the time in the world and then some. Shinwon craned his neck, watching them shamelessly. They fit together perfectly. He loved them. Hyunggu pulled apart from Hui long enough to give Shinwon a small smile, and then he was leaning back in, planting kisses against Hui’s jaw. 

When Hyunggu bit down, Hui moaned, leaning into the other. Shinwon didn’t miss the way his hips bucked as he searched for some sort of friction. Hyunggu drank from him greedily, savoring the taste, and when he pulled away, he settled his gaze on Shinwon. His eyes were black and Hui’s blood stained his lips. His fangs stood out in stark contrast to the blood. And then he gently held Shinwon’s head, turning him so he was looking back towards Yanan. He felt Hyunggu’s breath, hot against his neck as he kissed the back of it, each graze of his teeth against his skin making his hair stand on edge. After what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, he settled on a spot at the crook of Shinwon’s neck, his fangs piercing through his skin smoothly. It didn’t hurt at all with Hui’s venom already in his system. It felt good and Shinwon let out a sigh. He reached blindly behind him, his fingers tangling with Hui’s. 

When Hyunggu pulled back, he didn’t lick the blood from his lips. Instead, he turned to face Hui, catching him in another kiss. Hui’s tongue greedily darted across the other’s lips, catching as much blood as he could, and even though it was a small amount, it was enough to close the punctures that Hyunggu had left in his skin. 

In front of him, Yanan moved to straddle him again, kissing him softly before bringing his hand up to his neck to close the punctures that remained. He was hyper aware of the sound of rustling fabric behind him as Hyunggu began pulling at Hui’s clothes. He wanted to turn and look at them, but every time he started to move his head, Yanan sharply grabbed his chin, angling his face back to his and kissing him roughly, demanding his attention. 

He needed more, but all three of them seemed bent on taking their time. If nobody else would speed things up, then he would. He gently placed his hands against Yanan’s chest, pushing him away enough that he could reach between them. He didn’t give the other time to protest as he unzipped his pants and wrapped his hand around his cock. He gave a couple experimental strokes, running his thumb across the head. Yanan sighed, rocking his hips against Shinwon’s hand, but made no move to stop him. Instead, he pushed Shinwon so that he was laying on his back. His head fell on Hui’s thigh; Hui, who immediately reached to run his fingers through his hair in a way that made Shinwon want to absolutely melt. 

He heard the sound of fabric as Yanan slid his pants the rest of the way off before moving so that he was on top of him again. Shinwon didn’t need to be told what to do next; he reached up to hold Yanan’s hip with one hand as he opened his mouth and took him in. Under him, Hui shifted to make it more comfortable. Hyunggu leaned over him, capturing Yanan in a kiss before a moan could leave his lips. Shinwon felt him twitch in his mouth and he was painfully aware of how hard he was in his own pants. He bucked his hips but was met with nothing but air and the fabric of his boxers. Still, the feeling of the fabric alone was enough to make him moan around Yanan. He wasn’t sure if it was the venom or just the effect that the three of them combined had on him, but he was already toeing the edge. 

Yanan pulled away from Hyunggu, reaching down to tangle his hands in Shinwon’s hair as he began rocking his hips quicker, his breath coming out in soft pants. Hui reached to intertwine his fingers with Yanan’s. Shinwon held back a gag as Yanan brushed against the back of his throat, and the other pulled out. He wasn’t sure if he was giving him time to catch his breath, or trying to keep himself from toppling over the edge too quickly. Shinwon gasped for air, his throat feeling raw, but he didn’t have long because then Yanan was climbing off of his chest and being replaced by Hyunggu. 

Shinwon hadn’t noticed when Hyunggu had undressed himself the rest of the way, but it didn’t matter anymore because he was pushing into his mouth slowly. 

He’d never really considered himself to be a person with an oral fixation. Sure, he was more than willing to blow people and he loved kissing, but at the end of the day, he wasn’t the type of guy who could get off from blowing someone else. But with both Hui and Hyunggu’s venom coursing through his veins, every movement Hyunggu made had him seeing stars. Shinwon greedily took him in his mouth, swirling his tongue around in the way that he knew the other liked. Hyunggu moaned softly above him, and when he reached down to tangle a hand in Shinwon’s hair as he pushed deeper, it was over.

Shinwon moaned around him, his hips bucking up as he came. He wanted to yell, but instead he moved his head, taking Hyunggu as deep as he could. The other gasped, his lips parting in a moan and for a moment, Shinwon thought he’d topple over the edge, but he pulled out quickly as he struggled to gain composure. He peered down at him with wide eyes.

“Did you just…”

“Yup,” Shinwon managed. His throat felt raw and his pants were sticky and clung to his skin uncomfortably. 

“Didn’t know I had that much of an effect on you…” Hyunggu said with a laugh, moving to climb off of Shinwon. He leaned his head back, thankful for the cushion of Hui’s thigh, letting his eyelids flutter shut as he felt a pair of hands reaching for the button of his pants. He lifted his hips up so that Yanan could slide them over his hips, and he heard the other sigh.

And then his mouth was on him, lapping greedily at his skin. Shinwon shouted at the sudden contact, his hips bucking up as Yanan took him in his mouth. It was too much too soon; he couldn’t get enough of it. 

“You’re so needy…” Yanan said when he pulled off of him, his breath hot against his skin.

“Shut up,” Shinwon whined, but the other was right. Surrounded by the three of them, he wanted as much as he could get, and none of them were afraid to indulge him. 

Then, Hui’s hands were on his shoulders, shifting him off of his lap gently so that he could get up. He pulled off the rest of his clothes, and for a moment, Shinwon thought that he was going to have him blow him too - not that he had any objections. But instead, Hui climbed on top of Shinwon, straddling his waist as he dipped down to place soft kisses on his neck. He sighed, automatically tilting his head to give Hui more room, and part of him wanted Hui to bite him again, but he didn’t need more venom in his system. Every brush of Hui’s lips against his skin sent shivers down his spine, and he could feel himself already starting to get hard again. The way Hui softly rocked his hips against his only added to it. 

He could feel the weight on the bed shift and he was aware of the sounds of Yanan and Hyunggu kissing, and when he turned his head enough to get a good look at them, he felt his mouth go dry. Hyunggu was on top of Yanan, kissing his neck softly. He had a hand wrapped around his cock and was lazily stroking him. Yanan’s head was thrown back, his eyes shut and his mouth parted into a pink o as he gasped quietly.

“Can I try you?”

Yanan stared up at Hyunggu, his eyes wide as he seemed to have a debate in his head, but then he nodded. 

“I won’t take much,” Hyunggu whispered against his neck. Then he was biting into Yanan’s flesh. The moan that left the other’s lips was like music to Shinwon’s ears. 

His attention was pulled back to Hui when he felt his hand around him. He bucked his hips, hissing at the sudden contact. He wanted to melt under his hands. He wanted to just let Hui absorb him until they became a single being. He was hopeless under his gaze. 

“Are you alright?”

“Never been better,” Shinwon said, but it came out in more of a sigh as Hui continued to move his hand. It was slow and he wanted more. The overstimulation he’d been momentarily caught in had long since passed, but his skin felt like it’d catch on fire at every point of contact. 

“Just making sure,” Hui said simply, leaning down to kiss Shinwon softly. Then, without warning, he was sinking down onto him. 

Shinwon hissed, gripping onto Hui’s shoulders and wondering when the hell he’d gotten the time to prep himself. It didn’t matter anymore because there he was, straddling him and staring at him so hard Shinwon thought he might burn holes through his skull. He was warm and tight around him and Shinwon sighed, letting his head fall back. Anything he might have been planning to say was lost in a moan when Hui began moving, rolling his hips in a way that felt too good. 

Hui gasped, his lips parting. Shinwon wanted nothing more than to kiss them, but Hyunggu beat him to it, leaning across him and capturing him in a deep kiss. 

They were beautiful. 

Next to him, he felt the weight shift as Yanan moved so that his face was hovering over his. For a long moment, he just stared at Shinwon. Then, he was leaning in, kissing him slowly. Shinwon sighed into the kiss. Between the way that his tongue moved across his lips to the way that Hui kept rolling his hips, he couldn’t help but moan into the kiss. He reached up, tangling a hand in Yanan’s hair. 

Hui broke the kiss with Hyunggu, cursing softly, before tapping at Yanan’s shoulder and gesturing for him to move. The other nodded, turning his attention back to Hyunggu and wasting no time as he dipped down, taking him in his mouth. Hui’s hands were on Shinwon’s shoulders and he stopped moving his hips for long enough to pull him up into a sitting position, kissing him deeply. Shinwon wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer.

“I’m close,” Hui’s voice was soft, barely coming out in a whisper against his lips. 

“Already?” 

“You’re one to talk, asshole.”

“Touché,” Shinwon leaned in to kiss him again. “Here, I feel bad for not doing any work,” he said, gesturing for Hui to get up. The other nodded, shifting off of his lap and they switched places so that Hui was the one laying down. “Are you okay?”

“I should be the one asking you that. You’re drugged up with both of our venom,” Hui said, vaguely gesturing towards Hyunggu. Hyunggu, who was watching them with interest as Yanan continued to bob his head fluidly.

“I’ve never been better,” Shinwon reassured. It wasn't much of a lie either. He felt electric as the venom coursed through his veins. Usually it put him in a daze, but for the moment he’d never felt more alive. He wondered if it was because it was both of their venom or if it was the fact that between his magic and the fact that he was used to it, he knew how to keep focused. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the way Hui was staring up at him, his cheeks rosy and his eyes wide as he watched Shinwon with interest. What mattered was the way that he sighed as Shinwon slowly pushed back into him, placing soft kisses along his jaw as he did so. What mattered was the way that Hui reached for one of his hands, intertwining his fingers with his tightly. 

It didn’t take him long to get into a steady rhythm. Hui let his head fall back against the sheets, his neck exposed. Shinwon might not have been a vampire, but he still couldn’t help but nip at the skin there lightly. From the sounds Hui was making, it was a good idea. He could feel himself getting close too, and he started moving quicker, fighting to keep himself steady. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into Hui. No matter how hard he tried, though, there was no way that they’d magically merge into a single being. This and feeding were the closest he could be to that. 

“Shinwon- I…” Hui’s words were caught in a moan as he pulled him into a kiss, rolling his hips to meet Shinwon’s movements. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Shinwon said softly against his lips. He pulled Hui into a kiss once again, and it only took him a couple more thrusts until Hui was writhing under him, burying his face in his neck as he came. The way he tightened around him was almost enough to send Shinwon over the edge too, but what hit the final nail was the way that Hui stared up at him before grasping at his hands tightly. Whatever words Hui said to him were lost as his body shook and he plunged in as far as he could. 

Shinwon pulled him into a kiss as the pleasure receded, not giving himself quite enough time to catch his breath. Hui reached up, running his hands through his hair and kissing him before they broke apart, staring at each other as they finally gasped for air. For a long moment, they just stayed there frozen, seeming to be enraptured by each other’s gaze. Then, they burst into laughter. 

“What?”

Yanan stared at the pair in confusion, his head tilted. Hui and Shinwon looked between him and each other before bursting into laughter once again. It was the kind of laughter that came from nowhere and happened for no particular reason; once it started it was hard to stop and usually led to tears. 

“I don’t think they even know what they’re laughing at,” Hyunggu said, softly resting a hand on Yanan’s shoulder. 

“Right,” Yanan said with a nod before holding his fist over his open hand in the air. Hyunggu did the same and for a moment Shinwon stared at them in confusion wondering what the hell they were doing. They both tapped their fists against their hands three times each before Hyunggu opened his into scissors while Yanan kept his closed.

“You win,” Hyunggu said, smile tugging at his lips, although it seemed to Shinwon that he wasn’t too upset about losing. 

Yanan just shrugged before shifting Hyunggu so that he lay below him, and then he was reaching into the bedside drawer to grab a bottle of lube. 

Shinwon caught himself watching for too long, and although he knew they wouldn’t mind and would even encourage him to watch, he still was laying on top of Hui. He sighed, tearing his attention away from the pair to stare down at the man below him. He leaned down, giving him a quick peck on the nose before pulling out of him. 

“Come on, lemme take care of you,” he said, snapping Hui out of his daze. The other had been just as transfixed by the pair as he was and he turned to give Shinwon a sheepish grin. He reached for his hands, pulling him up before the pair shuffled into Hui’s bathroom. Behind them, Shinwon could hear Hyunggu gasp. 

Hui said nothing as Shinwon turned on the shower before pulling him in. He just stood there, staring at him with an unreadable expression as he carefully lathered body wash into his skin. Normally, Shinwon could be comfortable in a silence. He wasn’t the type off person to feel the need to talk just to fill up any quiet. But Hui was normally chatty and his silence was almost off putting. Shinwon was about to ask him if he was alright when Hui broke the silence.

“I love you.”

“I know,” Shinwon said. It wasn’t any new information, but the other looked at him as if it somehow held more weight than all the other times he’d said it. 

“No. I _love_ you. Like… so much that it feels like it’s suffocating me. I never wanna be apart from you because otherwise it feels like something is missing.”

“I feel the same way,” Shinwon said, nodding his head slowly as he continued to work his hands down Hui’s back. He knew the exact feeling the other was talking about.

“I just wanted to make sure you knew,” Hui said quietly, looking down.

“Hey, is everything alright? I’ve never doubted your feelings for me once, okay? I love you and I know you love me. I don’t know what I’d even do without you.”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m not around as much as the others. I’m not jealous or anything,” Hui laughed, “I just feel like I don’t give you as much attention as I should.”

“Hey. You’re busy. I’m busy. I get it, I really do. I’ve never held it against you, okay?” Shinwon reached down to grab the other’s hand, squeezing it in what he hoped was a reassuring way. 

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you in my life,” Hui leaned forward, resting his head against his chest. Shinwon ruffled it softly.

“I could say the same.”

“Even after everything you’ve been through because of me?”

“You need to stop blaming yourself for everything, alright? I love you and I would go to hell and back if it meant I got to see you again. I mean it. I don’t blame you for anything that’s happened and I never have.”

Hui nodded, before getting on his toes and pressing a soft kiss against Shinwon’s lips. “Thank you,” he said softly when he pulled back. 

“You don’t need to thank me,” Shinwon laughed, “I’m here for you always. And my love for you is unconditional.”

-

It was 4:40 am when Shinwon was pulled out of his sleep, sitting up abruptly and blinking in the darkness. Hui was snoring and Hyunggu sighed, rolling and burying his head further in his chest; Yanan rolled and pulled the blanket over his face. Shinwon wasn’t entirely sure why he’d woken up. He didn’t have to use the restroom and he wasn’t hungry. He didn’t have a nightmare, or at least not one he could remember. His body was buzzing with the need to do something so he carefully climbed out of bed. None of the others seemed to notice as he shuffled out of Hui’s room. 

He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, rooting through the cupboard to grab a glass before going to the sink. When he turned on the faucet, it wasn’t water that came out. He cursed when instead, his glass was filled with a thick, red liquid. He poured it out into the sink, his eyebrows furrowing when it left no residue on the glass. When he turned the faucet back on, water came out.

He cautiously lifted the glass to his lips and sure enough, it was plain old water. 

A hand gripped onto his shoulder hard and he screamed, only to turn and come face to face with Hyunggu.

“What are you doing awake?”

“Jesus, you can’t just sneak up on me like that,” Shinwon said, holding a hand to his chest as he willed himself to calm down. “I dunno, I just couldn’t sleep I guess.”

“You seemed afraid… before I snuck up on you…” Hyunggu’s eyes were piercing into him and Shinwon had the feeling that he was trying to read him.

“I… yeah… I was just uh… seeing things? I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about,” he offered. He didn’t want the other to worry, although he was sure that he would anyways. Hyunggu knew him a little too well. 

Hyunggu frowned, but didn’t press further. Instead, he held out his hand. “Come back to bed. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

Shinwon nodded, finishing his glass before shuffling back up the stairs after Hyunggu. When they climbed back into the bed, Hui and Yanan were still dozing peacefully. Hyunggu curled into his side in the middle of the bed and Hui and Yanan rolled closer to them, but Shinwon was still buzzing with energy. He felt on edge. 

“Hyunggu… I didn’t drink Yanan’s potion before going to bed so… do you think you could…” he trailed off, his voice soft. Hyunggu frowned, but nodded in understanding.

“Of course,” his voice was soft as he reached for Shinwon’s hand, staring into his eyes in the darkness. “It’s okay. Sleep.”

Just as quickly, Shinwon’s surroundings were melting away as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

-

While the storm had brought a brief reprieve from the summer’s heat with it, it didn’t last long. Within less than a day, the temperatures had crept back up, rising to almost unbearable temperatures. Shinwon hated it, Yanan hated it, Hui and Hyunggu both refused to even go outside unless it was overcast or they absolutely had to. Shinwon wasn’t as lucky.

For the remainder of the week, he had to venture to meet with Hyuna, Hyojong, and Yanan so that they could teach him the finer details of the spell. Even the magic of the sanctuary wasn’t strong enough to keep the heat at bay, and Shinwon could feel the sweat dripping down his back as he worked in the heat; they didn’t have a choice. The spell needed to be done outside and preferably in an open area. Sometimes Yanan and Hyojong would work together to bring a nice breeze in, but the heat was exhausting to work in. There wasn’t much in the way of shade in the sanctuary either, and the main source of shade they had was the small pavilion they’d put up for Hyuna. She could put on magical sunscreen all she wanted, but the heat of the summer was intense and it was easier for her to be in a shaded area. 

Occasionally, other magical folk would come across them as they worked on the spell, wandering into the sanctuary and lingering to watch the small group with interest. Sometimes they’d even question them, but Hyuna had warned them to be wary; they didn’t know who Changgu might have connections with, and it’d be dangerous if he caught wind of their plan. The story they came up with was convincing enough; they were trying to rescue a friend in need. 

“Really? You can do that?”

Seonghwa had been lazing around, watching them as they’d worked that day and he’d perked up at the mention of Purgatory, his eyes widening in interest. 

“It’s hard, but with enough power, we should be able to open a gateway,” Hyuna had said. Her words weren’t a complete lie, but Shinwon still couldn’t help but feel bad about lying to a friend. Sure he didn’t see Seonghwa much, but he had a comforting presence and Shinwon couldn’t help but trust him. He didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives, but Hyuna was still wary of anyone finding out their true intentions. 

“Do you think…” he looked down, his eyebrows furrowing. “Do you think you could help me find someone?”

“Trying to locate someone in purgatory is incredibly hard. I could try, but I can’t guarantee anything,” Hyuna said softly. 

“I just… he’s been missing for a while. He used to experiment with magic a lot and I’m beginning to think he got himself trapped there,” Seonghwa frowned. 

“Hey. I’ll try my best to help you, okay? For now, why don’t we start with a simple location spell. Do you have anything of his?”

“Not on me, but I do back home…”

“That’s a start. I’ll text you about it and we can figure out a time I can come by and work a spell, alright?”

“You’d really do that for me?”

“Of course. You’re my friend, Seonghwa,” Hyuna gave him a bright smile, reaching up to gently squeeze his shoulder. 

“I can’t thank you enough,” Seonghwa gripped onto Hyuna’s hand, squeezing it tightly as if it was the only thing keeping him held to the earth. Then he let go, taking a step back. “I’ll get out of your way now. I hope you’re able to rescue whoever you’re trying to,” he said.

“I hope so too.”

-

  
  


“Hey.”

Shinwon looked up from the book he’d been reading. He hadn’t heard the bell at the door ring and Wooseok wasn’t supposed to be on the clock for another couple of hours. He didn’t see any customers in the store but he was positive he’d heard someone speak.

“Behind you, dumbass.”

He whirled to come face to face with an easy smile and tousled blonde hair. Changgu smiled at him like someone who’d just met an old friend after years and Shinwon couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut.

“...Hi?”

“You don’t have to look so tense, I just wanna chat,” Changgu said, placing a hand on Shinwon’s shoulder hard. He squeezed it tightly in a way that let Shinwon know that he wouldn’t have a choice in the matter.

“Well… it’ll have to wait a few hours,” Shinwon made a show of glancing at his watch, “I’m still on shift.”

“We could always talk here. It’s not like there’s any customers right now anyways,” Changgu crossed his arms, leaning against the counter. He looked in much better shape than he had the last time Shinwon had seen him. He’d gotten his roots touched up and his skin looked healthier. His eyes held the same warmth that Hui’s and Hyunggu’s usually held when they’d fed recently. 

“Okay, what’s up?” Shinwon leaned against the counter with a sigh. He pulled out his phone and opened the group chat without breaking eye contact with Changgu.

**Shinwon:** he’s here. I’m on shift at tvc.

He felt his phone vibrate with a flurry of messages as he slid it back into his pocket. Changgu smiled at him sweetly and Shinwon wanted nothing more than to punch him. He’d picked the most inopportune time to show up. He wasn’t sure if they’d be able to lure him outside to cast the spell and he wasn’t sure what the consequences of casting it inside would be. They might not have much of a choice.

“You need me.”

“Really? Who told you?” Shinwon threw his arms up incredulously and made a show of looking around. “I thought I was doing just fine without you!” 

“You know what I mean. Don’t act like you haven’t felt the pull of the bond. You might have Hui and Hyunggu and Yanan to cater to your needs, but they’re not enough. You need me.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Shinwon picked at his nail. It wasn’t dirty or anything, but he was trying to appear as carefree as possible. He didn’t want to give Changgu the satisfaction of being right. “If you ask me, it seems like it’s the other way around. You need me. I know, I know. I’m incredibly attractive, but I already have three wonderful boyfriends and I’m not sure they’d take well to anything happening with you… you know, because you tried to kill one of them and all.”

Changgu’s smile almost slipped away and Shinwon didn’t miss the flash of venom that passed through his eyes, but instead, he just smiled bigger. “I’m not leaving here without you.”

“Damn, taking rejection pretty hard. I get it. But I’m not going anywhere with you. I’d apologize, but I’m really not all that sorry, Changgu.”

His eye twitching was the only warning Shinwon had before he was being shoved against the wall, Changgu’s hand gripping his neck tight enough that it was dizzying. He couldn’t breathe and Changgu had him pinned just high enough that his feet dangled helplessly. Maybe he’d been too bold. Part of him was still satisfied that he’d been able to get that much of a reaction from the other from his taunting, but at this rate he was gonna be strangled. He gripped helplessly at his neck, knowing he’d be no match for Changgu’s strength.

“You talk too much.”

“I could say the same about you,” a deadly calm voice said as the door swung open. The last thing that Shinwon saw before he blacked out was the soft waves of Hyuna’s hair. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :^)


	21. Chapter 21

It was still relatively early when Yanan woke up to the rays of sun streaming through his window. Next to him, Hyunggu rolled over, pulling the blanket over his face and sighing. 

“Five more minutes.”

Yanan glanced at the clock. It was just past noon, and as far as he knew, Hyunggu had nowhere he needed to be. “Okay. Five more minutes,” Yanan agreed, rolling over to wrap an arm around the other. He’d shown up out of the blue last night, but that wasn’t anything new. Yanan had just been lazing around anyway, so he was happy for Hyunggu’s company.

He’d just let himself in and flopped onto his couch unceremoniously, stretching out with a sigh. It had already been pretty late when he’d arrived, but Yanan had pulled out his phone, ordering takeout anyways. There was a hole-in-the-wall spot nearby that did deliveries and even though the restaurant and menu looked seedy at best, their food was to die for. The added bonus was that one of the chefs was a vampire and was able to incorporate blood into the dishes in a way that Hyunggu claimed was ‘better than sex’. Yanan didn’t know about that, as he wasn’t a vampire, but he took his word for it.

After the food had arrived, they’d spent the remainder of the night and into the morning chatting away and playing board games and just basking in each other’s presence. Things were comfortable with Hyunggu. More than that, actually. He’d thought Shinwon was his soulmate when he’d first met him, but maybe it was possible to have multiple soulmates. 

There wasn’t a sense of urgency with Hyunggu. At least not in the same way as there was with Shinwon. With Shinwon, they both were constantly pushing each other’s boundaries and seeing how far they could go, pushing each other out of their comfort zones and encouraging each other to try new things. It was exciting, that was for sure. Hyunggu brought a delicate balance to all of that, pulling Yanan back to earth. He was always soft and gentle and careful. When they’d first gotten together, Yanan had been very clear on the fact that he didn’t want to be fed on because he didn’t like the lack of control that came with the venom. Instead of getting offended, Hyunggu had nodded in understanding, his voice thoughtful and calm. Later, when Yanan was comfortable enough to let him try, he’d been careful and gentle, always asking him if he was okay or if he needed him to stop. Whenever he’d think that Hyunggu was done worrying about him, he’d pepper him with more ‘are you okay?’s.

With Shinwon, there had been no easing into his feelings. Maybe their relationship had come with time, but the moment Yanan had met Shinwon, he’d known that their fates were intertwined (even if it was cheesy to admit out loud). It was like time had frozen and the moment was forever captured as a snapshot in his mind, no matter how mundane it seemed. But with Hyunggu, things were different. He’d known Hyunggu for a few years and always felt comfortable around him. They naturally got along well and he’d considered him one of his closest friends. Sure, he was attractive, but Yanan found lots of people attractive so it didn’t really mean anything different when it came to Hyunggu. He wasn’t sure why it took a crisis to change things between them and he still wasn’t sure what had triggered the ‘ _ oh _ ’ moment when he’d realized that things would never be the same. All he knew was that one moment, he was trying to help his friend, and the next, he was helplessly in love with said friend. 

And now he was laying under the midday light with Hyunggu at his side, wrapped around him and listening to the soft sound of him breathing.

Maybe this was it. 

Eventually, the pair sat up, rubbing sleep out of their eyes. Neither of them were particularly morning people and their definition of morning was any time before 2 pm. They shuffled out of Yanan’s room and made their way to the bathroom, standing in the shower without speaking. They didn’t need to and they were both tired so they were both more than happy to stand in silence. Maybe it’d be a lazy day. Yanan hoped that Hyunggu would stay and hang out for a while. And he knew that Hyunggu knew that he hoped that. Maybe he didn’t go out of his way to read people, but it was a habit he’d unintentionally formed over the years. One that was sometimes annoying, but usually harmless. 

After stepping out of the shower, they dressed themselves and wandered into the kitchen, hair still damp and sticking to their foreheads. Hyunggu kept reaching up to push his hair out of his face, but it kept ending up plastered to his forehead and he pouted when he realized that it was probably a lost cause. Yanan busied himself making a pot of coffee while Hyunggu took a seat. He rummaged through his cabinet for various ingredients to add to it as the pot hummed to life. 

“What’s this?” Hyunggu asked as Yanan set a jar on the table in front of him. It was filled with what appeared to be colored sugar or sprinkles.

“Put it in your coffee. Hyuna and I made it. It looks like sugar but it’s actually a bunch of little capsules filled with… you know…” he trailed off awkwardly.

“Neat,” Hyunggu said. He screwed the lid off before grabbing a pinch of it in his fingers and dropping it onto his tongue and letting it dissolve. “Mmmm, you guys are geniuses.” 

“We try our best. Hyuna wanted to keep it all for herself though, I practically had to beg her for a jar.”

“I’m glad you were able to convince her~”

As the coffee slowly began to drip into the pot, Yanan turned on the stove before turning to grab eggs out of the fridge. “Do you want any?”

“No thanks.”

“Cool,” he hummed. He cracked two eggs onto the pan, watching as they began to sizzle. Once they were cooked enough on one side, he flipped them in the pan. He was surprised when they landed perfectly. Usually when he tried to make his eggs over easy, he messed it up as soon as he flipped it. As he finished making the eggs, he gently let them flop onto a plate before turning off the stove and setting the pan in the sink. He set his plate at the table and then returned to the coffee maker; it’d finally finished dripping into the pot. He poured him and Hyunggu each a glass before shuffling over to the table and taking a seat.

“Thank you, ‘Nannie,” Hyunggu grinned as he scooped a couple of hefty spoonfuls of the blood-sugar concoction into his mug. He stirred it in before lifting it to his lips and humming as he took a sip. He was so pretty it was unfair. Yanan reached across the table and poked his nose and Hyunggu scrunched his face up in the cutest way.

After the pair finished their coffee and breakfast, Yanan took the dishes, rinsing them off and setting them in the sink. He could wash them later. Then, they made their way to the living room, flopping down on the couch. Hyunggu reached for the book he’d been reading but his phone started ringing.

“‘Sup slut?” He smiled. Then he laughed at something the person on the other end of the line was saying. “Yeah, yeah. Good morning to you too. It’s so hard being you… Hm? Not that I can think of…” he trailed off, looking deep in thought for a moment. “Yeah, I’m good, but thanks for the offer! I probably won’t be home before you leave for work, so I’ll see you after… mhm, I love you. Bye,” he hung up the phone before shoving it back into his pocket.

“Shinwon?”

“Yup. He was asking if I needed anything because him and Hui are running to the store before his shift today.”

“Mmm. Maybe we should pop in and bug him while he’s at work later. Do you know what time he goes in?” Yanan rested his chin in his fingers, looking thoughtful for a moment.

“Hm, I think his shift starts at 5. That might be fun. I haven’t been to the record store in a while, so I might even pick up something,” Hyunggu said wistfully. 

-

It was 5:40 when both of their phones dinged in unison. Yanan had been lazily scrolling through his phone as Hyunggu dozed at his side when the notification slid across his screen. 

_ He’s here. _

He sat up straight, blinking at the message on his screen as the realization set in, but just as quickly he was rousing Hyunggu from his sleep, shaking his shoulder. “We have to go.”

“Hm?”

“Come on, we don’t have time,” Yanan said, to his feet in seconds, grabbing Hyunggu by the wrist without waiting for him to catch up. His heart hammered in his chest as he hurried towards the door, reaching for his keys on the way. Hyunggu blinked as he stumbled after him, but he didn’t need to look at his phone or even read Yanan to understand why he was so urgent. 

“Shit, he couldn’t have picked a worse time,” Hyunggu said. He kept his voice even but Yanan knew that the other was on edge.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t try anything.”

“He won’t,” Hyunggu said as they climbed into the car. “I mean, he might try to lure him away, but he’s not going to kill him. And Shinwon won’t listen to anything he has to say no matter what type of bond they have.”

“What makes you so certain?” Yanan turned on the ignition, pulling down his driveway maybe a little quicker than he should. The gravel crunched loudly under his wheels and he wasn’t sure if it was because he was on edge, but it sounded way louder than it should have. 

“Feeding on a human regularly makes the human bonded to you, yes?” Hyunggu paused, waiting until Yanan nodded in understanding before continuing. “Most of the time that’s all that happens with the bond, but if it’s a case like me and you or him and Shinwon, where the human being fed on has magic, it can make things more complicated. Usually it results in a two-way bond. He needs Shinwon alive and safe or he’ll lose his mind.”

“Isn’t it already late for that? He didn’t seem like he was in a sound state last time we saw him…”

“He probably wasn’t. It looked like he’d been feeding less and on top of that, he probably wasn’t aware that the bond was going to be a two way street. He probably was in a conflicting place.”

“So do you think he realizes it now?”

Hyunggu shrugged. “He might. It’s not uncommon knowledge, but it’s not really something vampires know or consider unless they’ve fed on witches before. Either way, I don’t think he’s going to just leave empty handed. Last time we saw him, he was practically being consumed by his obsession. I don’t know if he’ll be better or worse, but either way he’s one of the most stubborn people I know. I think you guys have to finish this now.”

Yanan nodded, pressing his foot down on the accelerator. Hyunggu’s words didn’t do much to comfort him and he only hoped that they wouldn’t be too late. Dread had settled heavily on his shoulders, the weight of it making his movements tense. He turned down the street that would lead them to Shinwon and Changgu and hopefully an end to all of this. 

-

When they got into town, Yanan parked on the sidewalk in front of the store. He’d worry about any tickets later, though he doubted anyone would bother. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen any sort of law enforcement in all of the years he’d lived in that town. Usually, people minded their own business. Other than Changgu’s reoccurring persistence, there were almost never any problems. Even though it was evening, the heat of the sun glared down at them. The pair wasted no time in hurrying up the stairs, skipping steps as they ran and not caring if their footsteps would give them away. 

The door to the shop was ajar. 

“Let him go.”

It was Hyuna’s voice. So she’d beaten them there. They burst into the room to see Hyojong and Hyuna facing Changgu, their eyes furious. Changgu’s back was to them and he stared at them blankly over his shoulder. It took Yanan a moment to realize that he had Shinwon pinned to the wall, and then another moment to notice that his head was drooped to the side, his eyes closed. 

“I’d kill you if I could,” Yanan’s voice was cold. He didn’t give anyone time to notice his presence before he was flinging himself across the room, desperately trying to pry Changgu away from Shinwon, but it didn’t matter because he was a vampire and Yanan was very mortal. When the other didn’t budge, Yanan gripped his arm hard, focusing the energy that crackled around them into his hand. There was a hissing noise as Changgu’s skin began to burn and he winced, but finally let go. 

Shinwon dropped to the ground, but before Yanan could do anything to pull him to safety, Changgu was pulling his arm up to his lips, biting into his flesh and drinking greedily. Yanan watched as the burn immediately began to disappear, his skin knitting it back together so smoothly that you would have never guessed he was injured. When Changgu dropped Shinwon’s arm, he turned to face Yanan with dark eyes. There was blood on his lips and his fangs were still exposed. He looked like a monster. 

Beneath him, Shinwon gasped before going into a fit of coughs, weakly reaching for his throat. 

“Leave us alone, Changgu.” Hyuna trained her eyes on him with a frown. Yanan reached for Shinwon, pulling him up and channeling magic into him to heal him as best as he could. The punctures on his arm slowly knitted together, but the blood around the wound remained. Shinwon frowned, wiping his arm on his shirt. 

“Let me have him and we can call it even.”

“Shinwon is his own person. You can’t force him to go anywhere. I thought you’d realize that by now.” This time, it was Hyojong’s voice. 

Changgu glared at them, but for the moment his attention was off of Shinwon. Yanan helped steady the other. “Do you have it?” He mouthed.

Shinwon stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding in understanding. They shuffled back behind the counter while Changgu’s attention was fixed on Hyojong and Hyuna. Shinwon reached into his bag, pulling out the slender box he’d gotten from Hyuna. He opened it to reveal his wand. 

“Are you sure you can do this?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Shinwon said, smiling softly at Yanan. Inside him, he felt something shatter. He’d been through so much because of Changgu, but he was still enthusiastic and more than willing to put up a good fight. He was always able to put on a grin and a mask of positivity. 

“Then let’s end this.”

“Oh. End this? What are you witches up to?” Changgu asked, from across the room.

“Nothing that you didn’t bring about yourself,” Yanan warned. He was surprised at the sound of his own voice. 

When Shinwon moved around the counter, Changgu lunged at him. Instead of reaching him, though, he dropped to the ground. Yanan stared at him in confusion for a moment. It wasn’t like he’d tripped or fainted. It was like he was being pulled to the ground or pinned by something heavy. The air felt thick with static and Yanan finally registered the energy that was practically radiating off of Shinwon. His eyes shone gold with the use of magic. He’d learned well. 

“Careful,” Hyuna warned, and Shinwon turned to face her with a frown, before slowly releasing his magic. Behind him, Changgu groaned.

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“No,” Shinwon simply said. He stared at Changgu for a long moment, his expression unreadable as his eyes slowly dulled back to their natural color. Changgu looked absolutely confused, and Yanan wondered if he was beginning to realize the seriousness of the situation. 

“Then I guess I’ll be heading out. This was a nice chat, it really was. Nice seeing you again,” Changgu began, peeling himself off the ground and beginning to back towards the door.

“We can’t let you leave. You know that,” Hyuna spoke, her voice even. Changgu ignored her as he continued making his way towards the door, but the air crackled briefly and he collided with nothingness. 

“What the hell did you do, witch.”

“You say that like it’s an insult. It’s simply just part of who I am. We can’t let you leave. This has gone on for far too long. Hyojong?” She turned to her partner, and the other nodded quickly. Before Changgu had the chance to do anything else, vines broke through the floor of the shop, snaking their way around his ankles and up his legs. He struggled against them but it was useless. He was good and trapped.

“I’ll have to apologize to Jinho about damaging his shop later. Hyunggu, I’m sorry but there might be some plants going through Adagio to get up here,” Hyojong shrugged sheepishly. 

“That’s not exactly high on my list of concerns,” Hyunggu said quietly. He’d been lurking near the doorway since they’d gotten there. Usually he was able to put on a mask of confidence or optimism, but he was pale and quiet. Yanan suspected that the other was far too out of his element, that he didn’t even know where to begin to help. After all, this was the work of witches, not vampires. 

“Oh, Hyunggu. I didn’t even notice you there. How’ve things been? Hui alright?” Changgu’s smile was strained and he winced as the vines tightened around his legs in warning.

“Shut up.”

Changgu’s grin dropped and he turned his gaze to the floor, watching as the vines writhed around him.

“Come on, we have work to do,” Yanan said, nodding at Shinwon. The other blinked before remembering his wand. The pair moved so that they were on either side of Changgu, Yanan pulling out a wand of his own, and then they began to focus their energy, drawing out the familiar symbol in the air around Changgu. 

“Whatever you’re doing, it’s not going to work.”

“I think we’ll be the judge of that,” Hyuna said.

Yanan could feel sweat beading on his forehead as he continued to move his wand, focusing on keeping the flow of energy steady. Even the slightest break in concentration could mess up the whole spell. There was a reason they’d had to spend hours practicing and perfecting it.

Across from him, Shinwon was moving as if in a trance. His eyes were glowing and Yanan could once again feel the magic radiating off of him as he continued to trace the symbol in the air. Soon, the pair completed the symbol, each ending where the other had begun so that it circled Changgu completely. The other was quiet now, but he stared at Shinwon through the barrier, his expression dark. 

Shinwon met Yanan’s eyes and in unison they each placed a hand against the shimmering symbol before pressing it downwards into the floor. The air crackled and there was a sizzling sound accompanied by the scent of something burning as the symbol was branded into the floor around Changgu.

Hyuna cautiously made her way towards the pair, standing so that Shinwon was in between her and Yanan. Hyojong continued to focus on the vines. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat, but there was no way that keeping Changgu restrained like that was any easy task. Hyuna and Yanan both reached for Shinwon, taking his hands in their own, squeezing in what was supposed to be a reassuring way. Yanan was aware of the energy that was practically seeping from Shinwon’s skin as if there was no way to contain it. It was like he was overflowing. 

“It’ll be okay,” Yanan said, but it barely came out in a whisper. Shinwon didn’t say anything, instead just nodding. 

It would be okay. He knew it would. It had to be. 

Shinwon took a deep breath before he began speaking, his lips moving as the barely audible words left his mouth. Hyuna and Yanan nodded before joining in. Changgu stared at them in confusion and Yanan couldn’t blame him. They weren’t speaking any human language, and it was one that was rarely used even in spells. It wasn’t a language of this world that they spoke. It was a language of Purgatory and its words were harsh and clashed against each other in a way that was almost unpleasant sounding. 

The temperature dropped sharply in the room as the lights around them began to flicker. A breeze seemed to come from nowhere and the furniture around them began to rattle. Yanan only hoped that too much damage wouldn’t come to Jinho’s shop. The trio began speaking louder, and as their voices rose in volume, so did the cacophony around them. Yanan could see the visible change in Changgu’s expression when he seemed to realize what was happening. His eyes grew wide and his face paled before he began to struggle against Hyojong’s restraints. 

“You’re all crazy. You can’t do this,” he had to shout to be heard over the noise. There was no longer a breeze coming through the room; it had escalated enough that it felt like they were standing in a wind tunnel. The trio continued to speak, the words of the spell ringing clear above the rest of the chaos. 

“They can and they will,” Hyojong said, tightening his hold on Changgu. He focused on making the vines grow higher, wrapping them around his wrists to keep him from struggling. Yanan didn’t have to see Hyojong’s face to know that he was straining himself. His hold was getting weaker the more that Changgu struggled. 

The symbol around Changgu began to glow a deep violet and the air seemed to darken within the barrier. It was almost as if the shop within the barrier was a completely different shop than the one outside. Yanan was vaguely aware of ashes drifting through the air around Changgu as he continued to thrash against the vines. 

The rattling and the wind around them stilled and the room seemed to freeze in time as the glowing of the barrier reached its full intensity. The trio abruptly stopped speaking and Yanan and Hyuna cast glances at Shinwon. 

“Yeo Changgu. You are hereby banished from this plane.” 

Shinwon’s voice was cold and even as he spoke. Changgu stared at him with a frown, but he’d stopped struggling.

“I’m not the only one,” he said calmly. 

Yanan didn’t have the time to register what was happening as the barrier began to envelop Changgu. One moment, he was completely restrained by Hyojong’s vines, but the next he’d broken free. Yanan could barely see him moving as he reached through the barrier, his arm closing around Shinwon’s wrist. He didn’t process what was happening until Shinwon’s silhouette was disappearing through the barrier. It was too late to stop it now. 

The barrier continued to envelope the area within the symbol and all that Yanan could see was Shinwon’s shocked features, the frown on his face as he shook his head. He tried to reach through, to pull him back to safety, but he knew it wouldn’t work. Once the barrier was created, you could only pass into it. There was no getting someone out. 

“Yanan, I-“ 

Shinwon’s words hung in the air as his form seemed to disappear along with Changgu’s. The room was filled with a deafening roar that knocked everyone off their feet. 

“Shinwon!”

Hyunggu’s voice. Yanan’s ears were ringing as he tried to steady himself, blinking in confusion. Ashes were falling through the air and in front of him, a blackened circle was branded to the floor. Changgu was gone, but so was Shinwon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry, the first chapter of the sequel is already up so you don’t have to wait! It’s ‘I’m Gonna Love You Too’, and it’s under the same series as this!!

**Author's Note:**

> Pls let me know what y’all think :D


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